Alternate Glee
by cecilyedandme
Summary: Junior year is about to start when Rachel Berry, Star of Vocal Adrenaline, suddenly has to share her spotlight with newbie Jesse St. James. Will her step sister Quinn Fabray help her to make it through this or is her path leading her somewhere else? *Drama/Friendship/Humor/Romance
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters. Obviously it would have went into an_ alternate_ version then.**

* * *

_Prologue_

The day Shelby Corcoran decided Vocal Adrenaline needed a new male lead she knew her daughter wouldn't be much pleased with it. Outraged maybe. Definitely for sure.

Not that her current male lead couldn't sing but there was something that missed when he sung. Shelby didn't know if it was the passion she once used to have as a show choir lead. She didn't know what he could do to improve his skills. She didn't know if it was just that she didn't think that he could keep up with Vocal Adrenaline's female lead. And she for sure didn't know if she just disliked him a little for dating her female lead, her daughter Rachel.

Rachel Berry had always known that she was going to be a star someday. And Shelby wanted to support her because she knew that this was going to happen.

And maybe, just maybe, Shelby wanted to support her in other ways than what Rachel could have wanted.

Shelby knew the day she decided Vocal Adrenaline needed a new male lead was the day she could dissociate herself from Rachel. Even if it was unwanted. Even if she just wanted to make her daughters dreams come true.

But that didn't stop her. Rachel didn't need her mother in her life as long as she could become a star, could make her dreams come true.

And in order to do so she wanted the best male lead available. The best male lead, a boy who could keep up with Rachel, who wouldn't need Rachel to lower her power of voice in order to harmonize somewhat nicely.

And Rachel did have a voice. She knew how to play with it. She could do everything with it even at fifteen. And Shelby was proud of it. This one thing Rachel got because of her mother. The thing that definitely told people they were related, besides the obvious looks of course. Singing was the one thing that united mother and daughter. That made them an invincible team. Two nationals titles had proved.

Even if it meant to get a new male lead and kick her daughters boyfriend out of that position.

Shelby Corcoran knew her daughter wouldn't be pleased with it but she did it anyway.

Even if it meant trouble.

Even if her new male lead would become the biggest rival of her daughter.

Even if Jesse St. James would be able to become Shelby's one great regret.

* * *

**March 28, 2014**


	2. Invitationals

**Happy birthday N.  
**

* * *

_Invitationals_

It had been a sunny week all along and Shelby Corcoran knew everything would be fine about the upcoming Invitationals performance of Vocal Adrenaline this day.

She opened her eyes and smiled for the first time in weeks. Practicing their Invitationals number, song and dance routine, took a long time since Rachel wasn't in town and Giselle was the first to take lead. If there only had been a lead. There wasn't a solo at all. A completely group number without anyone standing out.

Giselle didn't mind. It was the first time for Vocal Adrenaline without Rachel Berry wanting to control everything. So _she _took the spot. She wanted to proof to anyone that she was the_ truthful _lead. That she should be the female lead. In the beginning Giselle had assumed that Rachel just got her spot as lead because of her mother... until she had heard Rachel singing for the first time. That day Giselle knew Rachel was competition.

Yeah, sure, Rachel's solo of 'Don't Rain On My Parade' on her first Sectionals competition may have influenced their first win since Nineteen-Ninety-X.

And probably their new coach.

But maybe, just maybe, they could have won too, if Giselle hadn't gotten ill that day and they didn't need Rachel to improvise the Barbra classic. But even then Giselle had to admit that Rachel had done a good job. The one thing that bothered her about that day was that she lost her spot as lead the moment she had gotten ill and Rachel got to replace her for _one_ performance. One performance and Rachel was the new female lead... as freshman. Just because of one solo. Or Sectionals win. Whatever.

Giselle knew that she owed Ms. Corcoran much but she couldn't get about her antipathy for Rachel. She needed to proof that she deserved to become lead again. Even after two National titles under Rachel's leadership. She could continue with this. And she wouldn't have to feel like an understudy. God, how she hated that. And little Ms. High and Mighty being herself about it... and being liked for it and stuff. _Damn it. Damn her._

Giselle saw through that act of her. She knew that Rachel was a little insecure brat that got everything just because of her mothers position and influence.

Giselle needed to proof that she deserved to be lead again.

And that was what she was going to perform for.

* * *

Shelby herself was happy that practicing for the Invitationals was finally over. She loved her team and everything they had achieved together but rehearsal past midnight over weeks were a _little_ exhausting. Sometimes she wondered if her students were capable of everything she put them through but they didn't seem to mind in the end. Most of them were getting scholarships for their success at the show choir. Not to mention the gifts of the VA sponsors. Two words: Range Rovers.

Shelby dressed up, took some breakfast for her ride to Carmel High and got into her car a minute later. With some toast in her mouth she wrote Rachel a SMS before starting the car.

_How did it go?_

She pulled out of the driveway and arrived at Carmel a few minutes later.

The sun was already shining bright and it looked like there was a good day ahead for everything.

Shelby felt it in her guts that their performance was going to satisfy their sponsors and the principal. She only hoped Giselle wouldn't overact in order to satisfy her need of attention. _This girl_, she thought. She knew one day Giselle would drive her over the edge. She couldn't be any more excited about it.

She entered the school, greeted a few people here and there and went directly to the show choir room they only used before they were going to perform. Everyone was already there when Shelby entered the room.

Coach Corcoran went straight to business.

"There are a lot of important people out there." She hesitated. She knew her students were good prepared. They would be great... without a doubt.

She smiled encouraging "Don't screw this."

The Vocal Adrenaline members nodded looking confident as ever.

Shelby left the room leaving her choir behind. She went straight to her seat checking her mobile phone. No message. The auditorium started to fill with people. A few minutes until the show started. Shelby looked around not spotting anyone who drew interest in her. She was getting impatient. And then the lights went off, the curtails opened, revealing fifteen boys and fifteen girls standing together in a group.

The boys wore white shirts with dark ties and blue spenders, black trousers and shoes. The girls wore matching dresses in blue with a black petticoat, black dots and small heeled shoes.

The audience politely applauded.

**Ohio. Ohio. Ohio.**

The music started.  
And the dancing begun.  
**They tried to make me go to rehab but I said, 'No, no, no.'**

**Yes, I've been black but when I come back you'll know, know, know**

**I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine  
**Some boys lifted girls on the back of the stage

**He's tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go, go, go**

The audience began to cheer.

A small group of 5 girls walked down the stairs through the aisle the others built,

Giselle being "lead" and taking the first line (pushing a little too hard).

**I'd rather be at home with ray **_**with ray**_

**I ain't got seventy days**

** 'Cause there's nothing **_**nothing**_

**Nothing you can teach me**

The students built somewhat of a dancing circle ending separated,

the girls in three lines on the left, the boys right

**That I can't learn **_**That I can't learn**_** from Mr Hathaway **_**hey yeah**_

The boys and girls danced towards each other, grabbed partners, spun and swirled

**I didn't get a lot in class**

**But I know it don't come **_**don't come**_** in a shot glass**

** They tried to make me go to rehab but I said, 'No, no, no.' **_**yeah**_

One of the boys did multiple cartwheels ending with a salto on the other side of the stage

**Yes, I've been black but when I come back you'll know, know, know**

He repeated the routine ending where he began

The audience cheered

**I ain't got the time **Vocal Adrenaline started clapping to the beat moving,

_**ti-me**_** and if my daddy thinks I'm fine  
**ending standing in the spot they stood when the performance began

**He's tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go, go, go  
**putting their heads down.

The people in the audience gave standing ovation, clapping and cheering.

Shelby sat in her seat satisfied. _That went pretty well,_ she thought until she noticed a young man still sitting in his seat too. Her smile froze for a second. She recognized him immediately. Shelby didn't believe he would come but there he was sitting in all his glory- all arrogantly just like she had guessed. _This is going to be fun,_ she just knew.

* * *

About half an hour and dozens of congratulations later everyone had left Carmel and Shelby went back to the auditorium. The boy sat in his seat checking the time on his phone- which reminded her. Rachel. Shelby looked on her phone reading the text message she had received during the VA performance.

_He choked. Will be back tomorrow._

_R x_

Shelby groaned. The boys head turned towards the sound and chuckled.

"It wasn't that bad, you know. It could be improved here and there and this female lead of yours had some pitchy moments but it was pretty decent. I've seen worse."

That drew Shelby's attention. She smiled at him.

"Well, thank you for your subjective piece of mind but you aren't really in the position to judge that." She already liked his arrogant honesty. "And there was no lead at all. It was a group number without somebody taking the lead."

He grinned.

"Hm. One of the girls didn't seem to mind taking it. Camel skin, black hair? Big attitude?"

_Giselle._ Shelby rolled her eyes at this. She had noticed Giselle pushing too hard but she got sick of trying to talk about it with her. It didn't go anywhere in the end.

She had tried but since Rachel had taken the lead everything had only gotten worse.

Shelby thought about this for a second and an idea started to develop in her head. Then she answered.

"Auditions are starting next week. Some students are already trying to impress me. It happens." She shrugged her shoulders.

He slowly nodded. He wasn't sure about what she was saying but he decided to play along.

"So that's why you invited me? To watch your students? To make up my mind, to look if it's worth it?"

Shelby smiled at that and shook her head.

"No. Because I know that it is. At least it's appealing enough for you to show up. That just has to mean something, don't you think?"

The boy started to like this woman. She knew how far she had gotten and she didn't bother using this for her advantage.

He got up from his seat walking towards her, his clear blue eyes dancing with amusement.

Once he stood in front of her he reached out his hand and they were shaking hands.

"Jesse St. James. Nice to meet you."

"Shelby Corcoran."

Jesse nodded and waved a little goodbye before he turned around and left the auditorium.

"Rehearsals start at Monday!"

She heard him laugh.

* * *

Songs:  
_**Amy Winehouse**_ **"Rehab"**

* * *

**A/N: I guess my English sucks but one day I will study it and then I will re-read it and then I'll laugh about all the mistakes I made and correct them.****  
**

**But it just didn't feel right to write this in German. And it would've sounded absolutely ridiculous. _Seriously_. April 2, 2014**


	3. News

_News _

_We need to talk about something. Mom._

When Rachel received her mother's message hours after their plane touched Ohio's ground again she didn't know what to expect.

It wasn't even that Shelby wrote her that they needed to talk but the way the message was signed. _Mom._

Rachel assumed the worst.

She didn't know how the Invitationals performance had gone but the text she got from Shelby hadn't been send that much later.

Rachel didn't want to worry about this now (assuming Giselle would be involved in this story) especially after they had just gotten back from an audition in New York.

And it had been really great. New York had been such a different place with people who couldn't be compared to the people Rachel knew. Everything had been so intense, so full of color and life.

She didn't want to lose that feeling right now. She had been in the city of her dreams and she had never been happier than in this two days that she had spent with her boyfriend Brody.

Ah, Brody. Brody Weston was the male lead of Vocal Adrenaline, a senior with charm and good looks. He was her new start. They hadn't been dating for that long but Rachel had felt their connection since he became part of VA.

They made a good team.

Rachel was well aware of the fact that he wasn't perfect and that they probably wouldn't be together for the rest of their lives but she enjoyed the change that he brought with himself. She loved him for this and she wouldn't let him go anytime soon.

But when she looked at him sleeping in the cab they were driving in to go home, she wondered if he should be in the place he was in.

Rachel loved and adored him but she didn't know if he was driven enough to make it in their business. Maybe, just maybe, she thought, he wouldn't- _he couldn't_ be on her side when she made her dreams come true.

Him choking on his audition for their favorite college may could have been proof enough.

But Rachel didn't want to care about that now. She just wanted to enjoy the memories they had made until she would face her mother for whatever bad news she had tried to warn her about.

And these were all her thoughts until she kissed Brody goodbye and fell asleep in her own bed a few hours later.

* * *

The next morning was exhausting. Rachel felt like she had a jet lag after two days which was highly impossible but the got up at 7 o'clock (Rachel used to sleep _late_ at weekends) and started her daily routine nonetheless.

Shelby wouldn't be back until evening and Rachel decided to take a day off now that rehearsals were about to start.

She wanted to enjoy all the rest she could get before rehearsals, before months of practicing until late hours started. Just once she wanted to enjoy the peace.

Not that Rachel didn't love it. Because she did. It was a great chance to prepare herself for her life on broadway. And that had been the only dream Rachel did always have. But sometimes the rehearsals got exhausting, the other member of Vocal Adrenaline fighting for solos they didn't deserve got exhausting and sometimes Rachel just got _exhausted_ of it.

She had been kind of relieved that she got the possibility to go to New York along Brody to visit the college he had been auditioning for. Besides the fact that she could get out of Akron for a few days and take a look on her soon-to-be-future, she didn't have to prepare for Invitationals.

_Let the others do it for once,_ she had thought and she was happy about that decisions. Maybe even Giselle would be satisfied with her _non-solo_ so that they wouldn't have to discuss about that subject. Anymore. Again.

Invitationals hadn't been that important in the first place anyway.

* * *

Around noon, after hours of singing, dancing, and workout at all- _Rachel had gotten bored_, Rachel decided to get ready and call her soon-to-be-step-sister Quinn Fabray.

Quinn was sixteen and like Rachel already a junior. She was head of the cheerleading squad, president of the celibacy club and female lead of William McKinley's High School glee club "New Directions". She basically ruled the school. Quinn would become president, Rachel was sure.

The phone rung and she heard Quinn pick up.

"What did I miss?" Rachel asked.

"Ah, well, I got homework in-"

"Quinn…" Rachel said impatiently.

At the other side of the phone Quinn laughed.

"And hello to you too"

Rachel sighed. "Fine then. Oh my lovely sister. How did your week go? Won't you enlighten me about your many going on's and-" Rachel rolled her eyes "Ah, cut the crap."

"Nice try"

Rachel groaned "Please?" She tried.

"Gosh, you're just like your mom"

Rachel went into a defensive mode. "Am not." She clenched her teeth.

"Okay, okay." They needed to change the subject_. Back to the start_, Quinn thought. "So what did you miss? Hmm, all in all VA were doing a great job. It's pretty obvious why we haven't beaten you at Regionals last year."

Rachel laughed. "That's because you're no competition."

Quinn remained silent. Rachel exactly knew where to push her buttons. She hated losing. But Quinn knew better. Something was up.

"What's wrong Rachel?" She asked.

Rachel didn't know how to respond. She couldn't have been any more obvious.

Rachel knew Quinn's glee club, she was friends with some of them and she usually didn't insult them for Quinn's sake. They were nice people. They were a family Vocal Adrenaline had never become in the past two years.

Rachel hesitated. "I'm not sure."

She tried to avoid talking about something that bothered her and Quinn was aware of it. But she didn't want to force her into telling it. She knew Rachel. She knew that she was a strong and stubborn person and that she would give in if she was ready and wanted to talk.

"Let's talk about this later, ok?"

Quinn nodded "Ok."

Rachel coughed "So you said something about fantastic?" Rachel asked cocky, returning to her old character.

"Yeah right." She answered ironically "It was good as always. Giselle took lead."

Rachel shook her head. "As if I hadn't seen it coming. Anything else?"

Quinn hesitated.

She wasn't sure about what she had seen after the performance and she didn't know if it was important at all but she wasn't sure if telling Rachel about this was the right thing to do.

"Quinn?"

She decided to tell her everything she knew. It wasn't much.

"It's just that I saw your mom talking to some boy after the performance." She waited for a response.

"Hm..." Rachel didn't know what to say. "Isn't she talking to many people these days?"

Quinn agreed. "It's just that everyone else was already gone. I haven't seen her doing something like this before. And I'm a great spy. But I haven't seen her acting this way before... All mysterious and careful. "

"Usually she doesn't care about what other people think " Rachel said slowly leaving both thinking. _Mmmhhh._

"Could it be that she is recruiting new members for glee?" Quinn suggested.

That made Rachel think. She thought about the message she had gotten from Shelby and that they needed to talk. If she was really recruiting new members she wouldn't have to talk to Rachel about it. She didn't need to justify herself. Rachel really didn't care about new background singers at all.

"Nah. I can't imagine that she would make such a fuss about it. This isn't her style." Rachel answered. She heard Shelby's car pull into the driveway. "But we'll see. I'll tell you as soon as I know, ok?"

"Alright. Bye"

* * *

When Shelby came home and closed the door behind her she almost got the scare of her life. Rachel was standing right next to the door frame looking at her with curiosity.

"God Rachel," she exhaled. She walked to the wardrobe in the foyer, took her jacket off and put it on the coat hook. Then she looked at Rachel. "So," she said.

"So," Rachel repeated. "You wanted to talk with me?"

Shelby saw her daughter's mood getting worse with every second that passed.

"Yes," she answered.

"Is it about the boy you were talking to after Invitationals?"

Shelby blinked. She didn't know how Rachel got to know anything about her conversation with Jesse but- _Quinn. Of course._

Shelby rolled her eyes. "I didn't know you let the competition spy me."

"She isn't competition," Rachel spat. "She's going to become your daughter."

Shelby nodded.

"So what is this all about?" Rachel asked impatiently. She didn't want Shelby to put on an act any longer.

"Ok then... " It was harder than she had imagined.

"Do it quick and easy. Like pulling off a band-aid." Rachel said encouraging with a fake smile on her face thinking that it couldn't be that difficult or bad._ Okay, she was getting a little mad at this point but Shelby was acting like a child._

Shelby's regained her posture. "I don't need to explain my decisions to you but I guess you deserve to know the truth."

She was looking Rachel straight in the eyes. Rachel's heart fluttered for a moment both excited and scared for what was about to come.

"I recruited a new male lead for Vocal Adrenaline." Rachel's eyes widened. "Brody's out."

* * *

**As you can, eh, read some characters are different than the original ones. There are reasons. How I picture them at this point can be seen on my profile.**

**Thanks! x**

**April 10, 2014.**


	4. Arrangements

**(\\)_(/)  
(='.'=) Happy  
(")_(") Easter!**

* * *

_Arrangements _

Ok, so Rachel hadn't been prepared for something like that.

_I recruited a new male lead for Vocal Adrenaline. Brody's out._

She looked at her mother with her mouth open. She blinked.

Rachel wasn't at a loss for words often but this... Shelby just knew how to get under her skin.

_A new male lead. Brody out of VA._

Yes, she had imagined her junior year to start different.

She walked up and down the foyer still trying to process everything.

She wasn't sure if Shelby was kidding but it didn't stop her mind from imagining different scenarios that could possibly explain her mother's- well, what was that anyway- insanity, perhaps?

Maybe Shelby was just trying to punish her for neglecting her lead duties at Invitationals? Maybe Shelby had a fight with Quinn's dad over some unimportant wedding arrangements? Maybe it was already April Fool's Day? (She checked her watch just in case. Nope. Not even close to April.) Maybe Shelby fell and hit her head? Rachel looked up. That could explain it.

"You didn't hit your head, did you?"

Shelby knitted her eyebrows.

"I mean you can't be serious about this one. Why would you even consider to recruit a new male lead?" Rachel laughed about this idea.

For a moment Shelby looked at her daughter in surprise. She had thought that she would have been more convincing but Rachel didn't seem to realize what she had just said. She regained her voice.

"Auditions start tomorrow." Shelby massaged her temples, trying to stop the headache to form. "I considered to recruit a new male lead because Brody wasn't enough." Rachel shook her head. Shelby raised a brow. "We both know that."

Rachel stamped her foot. "But-"

Shelby raised her voice. "This isn't about Brody, Rachel. This isn't about your relationship with him." She paused. "This is about Vocal Adrenaline."

Rachel was trying to say something but Shelby continued, not giving her any chance.

"Vocal Adrenaline didn't win Nationals the last two years because of _his nailing _performances. This is _your_ credit." Rachel was surprised by her mother's compliment. "Well, the singing at least." Rachel rolled her eyes at this. _Of course._ This is what she'd rather imagined.

"But I still don't understand this. I mean we won the last two years, didn't we? Why change the group dynamics which obviously worked?"

"This is the point Rachel. It worked for two years. How long do you expect will that work anymore?"

Rachel shook her head trying to shake these thoughts off. She didn't want to imagine Brody not being her male lead anymore. He was her boyfriend for crying out loud. This was sure going to be a relationship wrecker. No, no no no. She didn't want to imagine this. Her mother most likely _did_ hit her head. Rachel wanted to shake her mother.

She needed to calm down. Now. She took a deep breath. She breathed out and repeated the procedure. She wasn't going to get a panic attack. Not about something like _this_. She could deal with this. She would be able to handle this. She had been able to handle far worse. She just needed a second. Or two. She took another breath and looked at her mother.

"How did you imagine this to work? And what did you mean with auditions start tomorrow?" She asked calm.

"This new male lead I was talking about… He's as talented as you and he sure knows that. I was talking to him after Invitationals and he thought Giselle was lead."

Rachel gasped for breath. She sure wouldn't like to know where this was going.

"There are going to be re-auditions."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked with a slight spark of hope that this wasn't going _there._

"It means exactly what I said," Shelby replied.

_Well, that much about this theory._

Rachel shook her head staring at Shelby in complete disbelief. She was going a bit too far now.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Shelby stayed calm. She had expected something along those lines.

"So you want me to _what_?"

"Re-audition," Shelby repeated. Rachel blinked. She needed to sit down.

She walked to the living room her mother following her and she sat down on the couch. The couch she and Brody used to watch movies on together. The couch she and Brody—she shook off her memories getting up again. She didn't want to go there now.

She looked at her mother not knowing if she was kidding or not. She couldn't do this, right? Not even the re-audition part but she couldn't do this to Brody. They had won two national titles together and he tried to get a scholarship. He was a freaking senior who was going to get his lead position taken away from him because of some _boy _she had never met before. _As talented as me, _she snorted. That she'd never heard singing. _Just great._

But then again it was her mother she was talking about. Of course she would come up like an idea like this. She had never liked Brody. Separate them by taking away his lead was an incredible idea. Why hadn't she even expected it?

Rachel started to shake her head. Shelby looked at her in amusement.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm trying to get rid of the water that has to be in my ears. I seem to be misunderstanding everything today. Something has to be wrong with them. Maybe I should just go see a doctor."

Now it was getting ridiculous.

Shelby raised her voice not wanting to discuss any longer. "Rachel!"

"But- what- why? You've just got to be kidding me!" She looked at her mother but Shelby remained silent. "Fine!" Rachel said. "Then make Giselle lead again too if that's what you want! If that's what _he _wants!"

_Wow. Rachel could really be annoying. _Shelby had always assumed her students were overreacting a little but she hadn't seen that stubborn part of Rachel before. The normal stubbornness, yes, but this reached a complete new limit.

"Don't be ridiculous."

_"Me_?" Rachel shrieked.

* * *

After another fifteen minutes of convincing, Rachel finally got to admit that her mother's motives didn't seem that suspicious. She believed that she did it for the team, for another Nationals title. She was persistent about that after all. Rachel wasn't really pleased with everything, especially the re-auditioning part (like seriously, competing with Giselle again?) but Shelby exposed a plan to her that didn't really change a thing. Well, besides the male lead part of course.

Shelby told her that she had met the rest of Vocal Adrenaline earlier for a team meeting. She told her what she had told them when she said that there was going to be a new male lead. Brody hadn't been invited but she had called him before. It had seemed like he wasn't really surprised, especially after Coach Corcoran was Rachel's mother and she had gotten to know about him and his choking in New York. Brody hadn't been devastated about the fact that he got replaced but he still had the dignity to ask for a re-audition. Shelby had agreed because, first of all it wouldn't change the fact that Jesse was going to become male lead and she had somehow admired Brody's persistence, and furthermore she had thought that a little competition between her students at the start of a new school year couldn't be that bad. It would get everything out of her students and she had liked that idea.

Shelby told Rachel that she would stay lead because she was the best and Giselle wouldn't be able to change a thing about that. Rachel had stopped Shelby at that.

"I don't think this is going to work," she said.

Shelby looked confused.

"You want everyone to re-audition but nothing's really going to change in the end, right?" Rachel looked at her mother. "It's not like I want to disagree, we both know that the only option for winning Nationals is me being lead, but maybe you were right when you said that we needed to shake things up. That we needed to change group dynamics for once." Rachel took a deep breath as if not believing what she was going to say. "Maybe Giselle should take lead and I will just stay in the background for the beginning."

Shelby didn't want to believe what Rachel just said... But it made sense.

Maybe it would be better not to lump Rachel and Jesse together at the very first opportunity. _There would be dead man_, she thought.

Coach Corcoran knew that it would be difficult to get these two working together without them being at each other's throat every minute. She didn't knew Jesse well enough but if he really was anything like her daughter there _was_ going to be drama. So Shelby went through everything again and agreed.

"And there's one condition," Rachel added. "I don't want him to know that I was lead. I want to get to know him before he starts an act around me because of who I am. And our relationship? No."

Shelby smiled. "I guess that won't be a problem. But we would have to change a few things…," she said with Andrea on her mind. "You'll meet him on Monday. Let get him a different impression of you..."

* * *

Quinn felt that something was wrong when she had ended her phone call with Rachel a few hours before. Rachel hadn't called back and Quinn had decided to make her own investigation when her phone rang.

"You're late," she said when she picked up.

But to Quinn's surprise it wasn't Rachel on the other side of the line. "Hello Quinn," Shelby said.

* * *

**That conversation between Shelby and Rachel at the beginning? You have no idea how much fun it was to write that. Even I was annoyed of Rachel at the end.**

**I guess the real story begins next chapter. Until here it was more of an introduction I actually didn't plan. Idk if I keep the length like that but who cares?**

**Happy Easter Holidays. April 20, 2014.**


	5. Competition

**Happy May Day! **(I know there's just like an hour left of it but I promised to update today and this is it...)  
**And a special _Thanks_** **to** Daddy Directioner** for giving me my first review.** Best. Easter. Gift. Ever.

* * *

_Competition_

Rachel stood in her bedroom looking in the mirror with a frown on her face.

The girl in the mirror was wearing a blue cotton-shirt with a big yellow bow knot and a dark red pleated skirt. When Rachel looked down on her reflection she saw herself wearing mustard yellow knee highs. She mustered them wondering why they wouldn't even match with the hideous knot on her shirt. And her shoes… These red-brownish ballerina shoes that were shining so much that Rachel had to close her eyes.

Rachel opened her eyes again trying to absorb her new looks. The corners of her mouth twitched. She wasn't sure how long she could keep up with the act they were going to put on. It didn't look good in relation to an outfit like that.

She regained her confident posture. She was fine. Rachel touched her gold star necklace forgetting all of the bad memories she connected with the girl in the mirror.

She put her hands on her hips and put on the brightest smile she was capable of. She looked in the mirror again. _Wow. This is never going to work, _she thought.

Rachel heard a knock on her door. She turned around when Shelby put her head round the door. She shot her a knowing look.

"Katie's downstairs," she said cheerfully.

Rachel turned around one more time looking at herself in the mirror. Her eyes widened. _Now it is time to freak out, _she thought. _Where did I maneuver myself into?_

She grabbed her bag, ran down the stairs and closed the front door before she could change her mind again.

There in her front yard was standing Katie, one of her classmates and best friends since kindergarten.

She raised a brow at Rachel's appearance.

"Don't ask."

* * *

"Just spill it already," Katie demanded.

Katie Gibbs was one of Rachel's best friends. They had met in kindergarten and their love for music had made them inseparable since then. They had nearly attended every class together during school and they were both parts of Carmel High's show choir. She was just 5'2'' but she had a big voice and she had dreamed of a singing career as long as Rachel could recall. She was sixteen and a junior just like Rachel and Quinn. She had hazel eyes which built a great contrast to her dark brown hair that stopped right after her shoulder blades. Katie was one of the nicest and strongest people Rachel had ever met although she had had a difficult childhood. They had always been there for each other like sisters and Rachel was thankful for a friendship like theirs.

Rachel sat on the passenger seat of Katie's Range Rover and sighed. She clapped the vanity mirror down and looked at Quinn who they had just picked up. Rachel raised a brow and Quinn shrugged.

"It's complicated," she said. Rachel didn't know how to explain Katie the whole scheme they had come up with the day before.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "It isn't," she corrected. "It's actually pretty easy. You attended the Vocal Adrenaline meeting Shelby had called for?" Katie nodded. "It all revolves around what you were told yesterday."

Katie shot Rachel a look. "So this is all about this new male lead?" She shook her head in disbelief. "What the hell have you come up with this time?"

Rachel grimaced. "I-" she tried, the sound of Quinn's straw trying to take the last sip out of her morning smoothie interrupting her intentions.

Quinn smiled apologetically. "Sorry."

Rachel exhaled.

"I thought it wasn't fair. When Shelby told me that she wanted to replace Brody. I couldn't stand the idea. And what she told me then was even worse. I mean who replaces their male lead who- and I just have to point that out again- had been jointly responsible for winning two National titles along with me… for some unknown boy who nobody had ever heard singing before? I mean seriously; who comes up with an idea like this?"

Katie pulled into the parking lot of Carmel High, her brows knitting. She backed her car into one of the parking spaces that were exclusive for Vocal Adrenaline members. She turned off the engine, put on the hand brake and turned to Rachel.

"She didn't tell you?" She asked with a look of concern on her face.

Rachel looked confused. "Told me what?"

"He- the new male lead, we all knew who he was when Shelby told us. I'm surprised she didn't tell you."

Rachel suddenly felt sick about everything that she obviously hadn't been informed about recently.

"You know what? I don't care. He could be Freddie Mercury himself and I wouldn't give a damn. He wants to become the new star?" Rachel boiled with rage not believing what apparently important information Shelby had kept from her _and only her_.

Katie winced. _If Rachel just knew how right she was…_ "I thought it would… I thought you two would-"

"Fine, but he has to beat me first! This is my game, my territory and I'm not going down without a fight! "

Rachel unstrapped herself, opened the passenger door and slammed it behind her as she stormed off making her way to the school.

Quinn and Katie sat in the car for another moment watching Rachel's dramatic exit.

They watched her as Brody approached her, not looking very pleased as she came in view, and they heard Rachel shout that he shouldn't ask but follow her. They disappeared into the school building a moment later.

"Well, that was something," Quinn said and smiled. She hadn't seen an outburst like that in ages. Sometimes it was just fun to watch.

Katie nodded towards the direction Rachel had just disappeared in and frowned. "And what does this all have to do with her appearance?"

The two of them got out of the car standing side by side. The sun was rising, the sky blue without a cloud, and the birds chirping. The day had seemed so promising.

"She didn't want him to know that she was female lead. She wanted to get to know him first before he was going to become _her_ new male lead."

Katie looked at Quinn. "And whose idea was that?" she asked, referring to her clothes.

"Shelby."

Katie threw her hands up in horror. "But doesn't she know what she is doing to Rachel?"

Quinn shrugged. "Andrea was as pleased as you when she had to turn Rachel into this. She didn't like the idea either." She took a deep breath. "But I guess it's Rachel's fault, too. As long as she is able to deal with it it'll be fine but if not… you know."

Katie just nodded and they made their way to school.

* * *

"What the hell, Rachel?!" Rachel dragged Brody into the choir room and closed the door behind them. She swirled around shushing him.

Brody narrowed his eyes to slits. "Don't you dare shush me! I know exactly what you are doing and I'm not going to let you get away with it this time! What the hell have you been thinking, Rach?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Do you really believe that I don't know that this was _your_ idea? Don't you think it's a little obvious that once I choke at an audition you get yourself a new male lead?"

Rachel swallowed. "Excuse me?!"

She had expected him to talk about her new clothing, about how she couldn't make him look so bad with her like that on his side. This is what it had looked like when she had left Quinn and Katie behind in the parking lot. But that he had expected her to be responsible for his replacement? Well, that was something to get mad about.

It wasn't like Rachel couldn't understand that he was mad (although Shelby had told a different story) but that he believed that she had been involved in this from the beginning was just unbelievable. People could think they trusted each other because, well, they were a couple and dating for a few months and they had known each other way longer before they had gotten together. But it didn't seem to stop Brody, though, to blame everything that had happened to him on her. What a wonder that he didn't actually think she was responsible for his failure in New York, too.

"Oh, just admit it, Rachel. It's not like it's going to change things anyway, isn't it? Your mom had always decided to take my lead away, didn't she? Sure, she agreed to let me re-audition, to give me, as she put it,_ a second chance_, but we both know that she made up her mind, right? That she had just waited for an oppurtunity?! My failing audition in New York just gave her the perfect reason!" He looked at Rachel in disgust. "And I trusted you!" He laughed dryly and the whole atmosphere in the room changed, Brody's voice getting low. "I would have never dreamed of you wanting to get rid of me because of that. I thought you were the one who had always backed me up... especially against Shelby."

Every intention of screaming back suddenly vanished as Rachel looked at the defeated boy in front of her. He had never seen him this vulnerable before. And in this moment she decided to fight for him. Not only for their relationship to last longer then this very moment, and Rachel knew that it hung in the balance and she needed to get it back on the right track immediately, but also for Brody to get an honest chance by re-auditioning. She needed to talk to Shelby about this again

"I do," she said and took a step closer towards her boyfriend. "I do back you up and I always will. Especially against Shelby," she continued her voice becoming a whisper. "She didn't tell me anything until yesterday. I promise you," Rachel took Brody's hands in hers, "I promise you that I wasn't involved in all of that. I really didn't want to lose my male lead, you know? Especially since he's quite handsome and dating this extremely talented female lead..."

A smile formed on Brody's lips and Rachel knew she was forgiven. Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled relieved.

"Will you tell me what's with your clothing?"

She looked into his blue eyes grinning. "Later," she said and just as she pulled him closer for a kiss the door to the choir room suddenly pulled open, separating them in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt anything."

The boy in the door was about to close it again but Rachel interrupted him. "It's fine. We were about to leave anyway."

Brody put an arm around Rachel's shoulder and they were leaving the room when Rachel brushed the boy's shoulder. She was about to apologize but as she turned around she only saw him heading in the other direction. The curly haired boy wasn't looking bothered at all.

* * *

**_To be continued..._**

* * *

_Jesse has a timing, doesn't he? ;)_

* * *

Katie Gibbs is borrowed from... _Once Upon A Song_. I just love that movie. (I don't get that there's no fanfiction about it...)

**I like her character and love **Lucy Hale's** voice.**

* * *

**May 1, 2014.**


	6. Let's Be Friends

**Disclaimer: same as always.**

* * *

_Let's Be Friends_

"So your his... tour guide?"

Quinn nodded. "Shelby told me to give him a tour around the campus. She wanted to tell the other members of the team what has changes since, well, you know, your meeting _yesterday_. What she and Rachel came up with. The whole re-auditioning thing. And in the meantime I'll meet him in the choir room and give him a tour. I'll bring him to the auditorium later."

Katie nodded. She and Quinn were walking across the schoolyard following Rachel into the school building.

"And how exactly did she make you agree to it?" Katie watched her clock. " I mean it's half past six. Not that I would think that you are a late riser or so but this isn't even your school... don't you have an own school to attend to?"

Quinn laughed. "I do, but it doesn't start until nine today. New pupil and stuff. And our show choir isn't rehearsing at this time of the day in general... or at all. We wait until our classes are over, you know? And we go home after that too," she said hinting that Vocal Adrenaline's work schedule wasn't exactly what she- _what people_\- would call normal.

"Haha, you're so funny", Katie replied sarcastically. "But for real now. Is there anything in for you?"

Quinn answered with a smile. "You mean besides the fact that I will get to know the boy who is obviously going to make Rachel's life more than a drama then it already is?" She pulled a bunch of keys out of her bag, a key chain demanding Katie's attention. " I guess so. "  
"No way", Katie said. Quinn shrugged her shoulders. "I get it until Rachel gets her driver's license."

"Does she know yet?"

"Nope."

"Oh dear." Quinn nodded beaming. "Just wait until school is over and I pick her up." Katie could only shake her head.

"So you get the keys after your little tour?"

"Si."

The two girls turned around the next corner leading them into a hallway full of trophy cases. It weren't just trophies of Vocal Adrenaline but of other clubs too. Trophies of students who had won chess or various athletic tournaments. The walls of the hallway were filled with trophies of every size. And then the pictures. Every student that had been somehow involved in any tournament win had a picture taken of him and they were hanging just behind the trophies. It seemed like a memory/victory hallway and it impressed Quinn every time she visited. It was one of her favorite places at Carmel. Some of the pictures were missing, Quinn noticed, but that had been part of the plan  
The door to the choir room was just at the end of the hallway and it was open.

"I think your tourist is already there," Katie said and they were about to go to it when two people came out of the room. Rachel and Brody. They were going in the other direction, Brody an arm around Rachel, probably heading to the team meeting (or was it a rehearsal already?) in the auditorium.

Katie patted Quinn on the back. "Good luck," she said and ran after the couple. "Rachel wait."

Quinn watched the three disappear around the next corner and then made her way to the choir room.

* * *

Rachel and Shelby were standing in front of one of the doors which lead to the auditorium. The other Vocal Adrenaline members had already taken their seats but Rachel had insisted to talk to her mother again before they started. She just wanted Brody to get a second chance just like Shelby had promised him.

"Look Rachel, I know he's your boyfriend and all, but we have talked about this before. I recruited Jesse and he will become male lead. There's no way I'm going to change my decision. It's final."

_Jesse. _It was the first time she heard the name of the new boy who was going to replace Brody as male lead. She scrunched up her nose. She sure wasn't going to like a boy with a name like this. It wasn't remarkable at all. But then again, _Brody_ wasn't either.

The seconds passed and Rachel didn't know which arguments to bring up to change her mother's- to change her coaches mind. She got desperate.

Then she said "And what if we only pretend to give him a second chance? I can't change your mind, I already tried enough to not know that by now, but it'll be over between us if there isn't anything I can do for him." She pointed her finger at Shelby. "And this will be your fault. I'm not sure how I will be able to forgive you again this time."

_Again. _Shelby winced. She knew which other things Rachel was referring to. And if she was honest with herself she knew that Rachel was right. She wasn't a saint and she had made mistakes in the past. Maybe she shouldn't try to repeat making mistakes that were somehow involving her daughter. Maybe it was time to clear her debts. It was a thing to try.

She didn't like the idea and she knew that Rachel could make things worse with Brody but when she said "I don't know if that's such a good idea. If Brody is going to know anything about that…" Rachel had only waved this thought aside telling her that he wouldn't get to know anything about their agreement. If they could call it an agreement. It wasn't like things would change. But Shelby had agreed. She would need to tell Jesse about this and she didn't expect him to react to it all joyful but there wasn't any other option . And it took a load off Rachel's mind.

* * *

"Hey there, stranger."

When Quinn had entered the room just a moment ago, Jesse had been facing the window. Now he turned around. He looked at her with a cocky grin.

"So your this tour guide Coach Corcoran informed me about?" Jesse nodded understandingly. "I guess it could have been worse."

Quinn's mouth dropped slightly. She didn't know if she should be flattered or offended.

She took a closer look at him and she understood why he was so self-assured. She didn't need to like it but she understood because he was really, like really really, handsome. He was quite a bit taller than her, like 5 inches, which made him 5 feet 11. His clear blue eyes were that mesmerizing, people would fall in love with him just by looking at them. And then his hair. This curly, dark brown hair that even Quinn wanted to touch. It seemed like it wanted to be ruffled. His whole appearance was simply gorgeous. He was wearing a black leather jacket and… he just knew how to make an impression. God, she would have fallen for him if she hadn't been in a relationship. And she was _so _thankful for that. Especially not since he was competition. Especially not because he was Rachel's new male lead and declared enemy. _Rachel, _Quinn thought. _This is going to get worse than expected. _Jesse's whole appearance was going to make everything worse. He looked way too good and Giselle and the other girls would surely agree. The only one who wouldn't let herself be dazzled by his looks was Rachel. But even then Brody wouldn't stand a chance. If Jesse was singing as good as he was looking they were doomed. Not only Rachel but New Directions too. They needed to exchange more than just those few words for Quinn to get a better expression.

She hold out her hand like he hadn't already made a lasting impression. "Quinn Fabray."

He took it. "Jesse St. James."

* * *

After her conversation with Rachel, Shelby once again informed her Vocal Adrenaline students about the newest developments.

Rachel had taken a seat at the back row along with Katie and Brody. They already knew what this was going to be about. And besides Rachel was annoyed of the curious looks the others were giving her.

It didn't take long for getting to the re-auditioning part. Rachel smiled. She knew what was about to come and she didn't want her classmates to think she was concerned. _There was no need._

A hand was raised. "I understand it correctly when you say that we are all able to re-audition for every possible position?" Giselle asked. Shelby nodded.

Giselle looked over her shoulder. She smiled triumphantly when she spotted Rachel. But Rachel didn't seem to be concerned and Giselle wondered. She knitted her brows.

"Not that I would call that decision into question, it was about time after a performance like that at Invitationals", Giselle pointed out," But why isn't Rachel objecting?"

_Good question,_ Rachel thought. But they had already covered it. _Laryngitis._

"Rachel won't be able to perform for the next weeks. She needs to rest her voice", Shelby explained.

Giselle didn't seem to need any more explanation. She obviously enjoyed the fact that she was going to get her opportunity to shine as the rightful star of Vocal Adrenaline.  
Rachel rolled her eyes. She should have known- no, she should have been prepared for a reaction like that. And she definitely shouldn't have given her the satisfaction of seeing it. _Damn it._  
Shelby sensed her daughter's uneasiness the moment it already disappeared again. She knew that Rachel was the one who originally came up with the idea of Giselle taking lead but she also knew that Rachel didn't like it. She needed to bring Giselle back to earth for Rachel's sake. She owned her that at least.

"Especially since we need Rachel at her best when we perform _Funny Girl_."

Oh yes, Shelby really did enjoy the looks on her students faces. They were priceless.

Giselle was at a loss for words. It wasn't very often so Shelby enjoyed the moment because it certainly wouldn't last that long.

"What does that mean again?" _See? _"You are not really implying that she gets Fanny, right? I thought those were open auditions as well."

Shelby nodded and gave Giselle a smile. "They are." And with that she let the matter rest.

A few rows behind Katie and Brody were giving Rachel questioningly looks. She shrugged her shoulders. Rachel hadn't been informed about any of this either. But she wanted to hug her mother. Not only because they were going to perform _Funny Girl_ (!) but because that served Giselle right for her snobbish behavior.

She pulled out her phone and wrote a message.

* * *

He had been slightly disturbed when she had introduced herself_. "Jesse St. James"__._ Most of the girls he had got to meet would have already fallen for him. Or they had at least swooned over him. _This was something new, _he thought and he didn't really know how to interpret it. But they shook hands nonetheless and he acted like he hadn't been disturbed by her reaction.

She soon suggested to start their little tour and he had agreed. He took a last look in the choir room, the scent of the girl he earlier interrupted with her boyfriend still filling the air, and closed the door behind them.

She-_ Quinn_ was guiding him through the school giving him the most important information needed. He wasn't really paying that much attention. It wasn't like he was going to get lost at this place. This was a school, for crying out loud. How difficult could it be to attend some classes? His major reason for joining this school was the opportunity he was given by Ms. Corcoran for becoming male lead of her show choir. The rest didn't really interest him that much.

But they continued their tour anyway. It didn't take long for them to get to the personal part of their meeting. She had asked him how old he was, _17, _why he was still a junior then, _he had been _studying _abroad for a year and needed to continue from where he had left, _if he was that good of a singer which he'd just answered with a glare that resembled Rachel's (_didn't she know?_) and other question like that.  
At the point when she had asked him what he wanted to do after high school, or with his life at all he had just smirked and answered "Broadway." The moment he said that a smile appeared on Quinn's face and Jesse wondered if she had similar plans. _Now it is time to get to know her better,_ he decided.

He sneered "What?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing, really."

Jesse raised a brow. "Didn't look like it." He looked at her questioningly. "Do you have any problem with me getting to Broadway?"

She muttered something he couldn't understand.

"So?"

She shook her head again. "No, god. No. I could care less about your plans for the future since you're competition and all."

He only nodded though being a bit disappointed. Not that he didn't understand her motives because he agreed with her on that but it meant they hadn't something major like this in common. "It's just that you remind me of someone who has the exact same plans as you," she then added. That drew his attention. "And that would be who exactly?"

She looked into his blue eyes and she had never seen a boy being more interested in something than him at this very moment. She looked at him and she felt herself again being drawn to his features. It was funny, though, that he wasn't looking interested at her _because_ of her. And she somehow started to like this part of his personality. They were looking at each other for a moment longer when she finally answered. "My sister."

_So she has a sister_, Jesse thought. He wondered if she looked anything like Quinn.

"And how old is she?" He wanted to bite his tongue as soon as the question escaped his lips. _Great move._

His worries proved to be baseless as soon as he saw Quinn smirking at him. "She gets sixteen in a few months."

"And she can sing?" he asked doubtful.

"That she can. She is a hell of a singer."

"Mh."

Jesse didn't like the way Quinn looked at him. Like she could see right through him. He needed to fix things before they got out of control.

"No worries," Quinn winked. "You'll get to meet her sooner or later."  
_Too late_. He needed to get them back on track. He cleared his throat. "Ah."

They were walking though the school and Quinn led them to the hallway they were coming from.

Quinn stopped in front of the trophy cases he had noticed before. She pointed to one of them explaining that this was the one from VA's Sectionals win two years ago. He only nodded. He didn't even seem to wonder why there weren't any pictures like they were with the others.

They talked for another few minutes when Quinn's phone vibrated in her pocket.

Jesse saw her reading a text message. _You can bring him. _

He decided to do something unusual for him. "That reminds me…" he said pulling out his phone too. "We should exchange numbers."

It wasn't because he wanted to keep in contract because he was interested in her or anything but there had been a few things in their conversation that had seemed interesting, yes, promising perhaps. And, yes, Quinn was really ok. She wasn't interested in him that way either and he liked that she didn't even seem to be influenced by his good looks and charisma. She was different. And perhaps they could become something like friends.

* * *

**Originally this chapter was named after **_Emily Osment'_s** song **_Let's Be Friends_** and I wanted to add it but it didn't fit.**  
**Then I was torn between naming the next chapter after it or keeping it like this. You see the result. **  
**In the end both names fitted but this one fitted better in here because of obvious reasons.**  
**Emily Osment's song was originally the reason the idea of this story developed in my head so I needed to include it.**  
**The "Hello stranger" part was the very first thing I wrote although it turned out to have gotten different.  
**

**And again: I cut it. It's 1:30am and there are more than 2,600 words and I don't have any energy left. I need to sleep...**  
**Another chapter and then this first day will be done. Finally.**

**And now to you. Please review. It would just be nice to know what any of you think. Be as _honest_ as you what. **  
**I already swallowed my pride :)**

**And now... Goodnight. May 19, 2014.**

**Whoops, I forgot to upload it :D 9:30am...**


	7. Toxic

**Disclaimer: I don't own any character or lyrics (songs). **

* * *

_Toxic_

"So you are expecting me to audition?" Jesse scoffed. "After you just got me to transfer here? After you offered me the position of Vocal Adrenaline's male lead?!" he asked. He wanted to be completely sure of what he had just heard leaving his coaches mouth. She couldn't be serious, could she?

Shelby noticed the sarcastic note Jesse had stricken. She didn't like it and she would have gotten him to do at least 30 push-ups if she hadn't understood why he reacted this way. It wouldn't even have been necessary if Rachel hadn't insisted to give Brody an _honest_ chance. So she decided to fight back fire with fire. She was Coach after all. "Yes, well, this is exactly what I meant with telling you '_you need to get a song prepared for auditions__.__'" _

She had to be kidding him.

Jesse stared at Ms. Corcoran at a loss for words. He couldn't believe this was happening. _She_ had recruited _him_. What the hell had changed in the past two days? Hadn't they been on the same page at Invitationals? He just wanted to start arguing—

"As I told you before," Shelby pointed out, "auditions are starting this week. I can't make an exception for you. Especially since some of my students have never heard you singing before," she continued thinking of the only one who didn't know about him (_Rachel)_, "and can't understand why you get the lead position within a second. Some of them aren't really easy to convince…"

Jesse slowly nodded not completely convinced about the necessarily of him auditioning yet.

"And you should know, too, that most of them are as ambitious and driven as you- if not more. But that pertains just a handful of students; you shouldn't worry about it. It won't change any aspect of the deal we made when I recruited you. They just need a good reason to accept you as their-" Shelby cleared her throat very well knowing that she wasn't telling Jesse the whole truth, "lead…"

"And who exactly had the power of making you change your mind on that one?" he asked sarcastically. Again. He was really persistent…

Shelby rolled her eyes at this. But then again, he wasn't that wrong. He had a point.

"I'm clearly capable of deciding on my own." _Thanks_, she nearly added.

"Okay. So this is it? I really have to do this?"

"I guess so."

They both fell quiet, Jesse trying to accept that he needed to win the Vocal Adrenaline member over by singing- by _auditioning,_ and Shelby by mentally cursing her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend for the problems they may made her trigger.

"You don't have anything to get done by tomorrow. That should be enough time for you to prepare something," Shelby said.

Jesse smiled at her, the kind of smile that lets the blood freeze in your veins, and Shelby knew that this couldn't possibly mean anything good.

"That won't be necessary," he said. "I will get over with this at the end of the day."

* * *

Rachel and Quinn were just standing a few feet away from Shelby and _the boy_ that Rachel didn't plan to refer by his name.

Rachel nodded towards the two of them. "Your first impression?" she asked.

"Incredible handsome and completely aware of it," Quinn answered. Rachel glared at her.

"And besides that Jesse is…-" Quinn struggled, "I don't know, ok? We haven't talked enough for me to give you a detailed characterization. What did you expect?"

"Something more than handsome," Rachel answered.

"_Incredible_ handsome," Quinn repeated.

Rachel shot her another glare. "I understood it the first time, _thanks_."

Quinn laughed holding her hands up in defense . "Ok, ok. The one thing that surely interests you is that Jesse wants to get to Broadway… just like you. He told me that he studied abroad for the last year, he's seventeen and a junior like you and me."

Rachel knitted her brows. "A junior? But didn't you just say he's seventeen?"

Quinn nodded. "That contains the part of the abroad studying."

Rachel groaned. "So it isn't only that I have to put up with him as new male lead but in my classes too? Great. Can't wait for it."

Quinn raised a brow. "Just give him a chance. He didn't seem that bad back on out little tour and I'm sure you two would work great together_. And_ you are united by Broadway. That just has to mean something, don't you think?"

"We are united by nothing," Rachel spat. "And no, I don't think so. I don't even know if he is that good at singing and, beware, at replacing Brody."

"_Jesse_ is it," Quinn said.

"Jesse is _what_?"

"His name," she answered. "Jesse's his name. You haven't referred to him by anything but his name. Just saying."

Rachel shrugged. "And I don't have any reason intending to change that. We're not going to become best friends."

Quinn looked at Rachel in disbelief. She couldn't believe how childish Rachel was acting. "I see that."

* * *

"Ok then," Shelby said trying to ease the situation. "I'm going to introduce you to my _assistant _then."

They walked over to Rachel who was in conversation with Quinn. "I see that," Quinn said.

"Quinn," Shelby said. "Thank you for showing Jesse around." They slightly hugged, Shelby slipping Quinn the key to Rachel's Range Rover.

"No problem," Quinn gave her a smile. She turned around to Jesse. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too," Jesse answered. Rachel rolled her eyes and Quinn shot her a look. "Later, Rach," and with that she left.

Shelby cleared her throat. "So Jesse, I want to introduce you to Rachel Berry. She is, well, my right hand." Shelby didn't know how to call it else. Jesse looked curious at the girl in the weird clothes. She was the girl he had met earlier in the choir room. Long brown hair, chocolate eyes, plump lips. A little big nose, though. "Rachel, this is Jesse St. James, new male lead of Vocal Adrenaline." Jesse held out his hand smirking. Rachel looked at his offer and replied to his smirk with one of her own. He couldn't believe it. At first Quinn, and now that Rachel girl. And Rachel seemed even more _un_impressed than Quinn. What was wrong with these girls? Didn't he have any effect on girls anymore? The seconds passed and they never broke eye contact. Somebody coughed. Coach Corcoran, right, she was there too. She gave Rachel a challenging look and after Rachel rolled her eyes she reluctant took Jesse's offer and they shook hands.

* * *

_Ok. So he is _incredible _handsome. Who cares? _

Rachel had accepted the fact that _Jesse_ was nice to look at but that didn't change anything. She sat back on her seat next to Katie who gave her a questioningly look she brushed off and hit the send button.

"Where's Brody?" Rachel asked. You could think she hadn't noticed before that he wasn't sitting next to her.

"He got a phone call."

Shelby and Jesse were walking towards the stage and Rachel was watching them closely.

"Ah."

Or him to be exact. She was watching him closely. The boy. Jesse.

"Rachel?" Katie said after noticing the way Rachel's eyes were going.

Rachel's head snapped around. "Hm?" _Talking about obvious_.

Katie giggled. "He's cute, isn't he?"

That brought Rachel back to reality. She shook her head no. This was ridiculous.

"Like I would buy that," Katie replied. "You were watching him."

"I was observing his actions. There's a difference."

"Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that."

Shelby entered the stage, leaving Jesse in a seat in the front row, the other students already whispering and staring at him.

"See, you're doing it again," Katie said. Rachel glared at her.

"Doing what again?" Brody asked. Rachel's eyes widened.

"She's—" Katie started but she was cut off by her coaches voice.

Brody took a seat. The auditorium went silent.

"Okay," Shelby said. "I've recently informed you about Vocal Adrenaline's newest member." She pointed in his direction and he got up from his seat. "Jesse St. James. Do you want to introduce yourself?"

He waved it off. "Nah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Shelby asked demanding.

He was looking through the faces of his new classmates. "Yes, sir," Jesse answered.  
_50 push-ups__,_ Shelby thought_._ He was already testing her limits. But the rest of the team laughed which meant he was already making a good impression. It even raised a smile from her daughter. _It could be worse_.  
Jesse grinned, enjoying the reactions that were placed on the others faces. He had noticed the looks the girls had been shooting him the moment he had entered the auditorium. So he still _had_ an impact on girls. His eyes drifted to the back row. Rachel had a little smile on her lips. It disappeared the moment they laid eyes on each other. _Hm. _He couldn't quite figure her out yet_. _They stared at each other for another moment when a student's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"When is he going to sing?" A girl asked.

Shelby gave Jesse a look and he nodded. "He's going to audition after school."

"Audition?" Another girl asked and Jesse recognized her as the girl who had taken lead at Invitationals.

"Yes, Giselle, audition," Shelby repeated. "Haven't we talked about the re-auditioning thing before?" Her eyes drifted to Brody. Shelby's look hadn't gone unnoticed. Jesse followed her gaze and it landed on the boy sitting right beside Rachel. _Ah. That would explain it._ He was the boy Rachel had been in the choir room with. They were a couple. _Now that makes more sense, _Jesse thought. Not only would that explain why she had been reluctant towards him, he replaced her boyfriend as lead, but why she had been so resistant to his looks too. The boy didn't look that bad. A little _boy band_ like, though.

Shelby clapped. "Okay, then. You are dismissed for now. We'll be back together here when classes are over. Oh, and Rachel" Shelby added. "Don't forget to show Jesse around."

Jesse looked at Rachel again and he wondered why she had been instructed to do that. He wondered why Ms. Corcoran hadn't chosen someone with a similar schedule. She didn't look any older than fifteen in the end. Rachel rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Jesse. She smiled.

The school bell rang.

* * *

"I'm pretty sure Quinn already showed you everything but just in case you get lost you can follow me today," Rachel offered.

They were walking down a hallway next to each other and Jesse gave Rachel a questionable look.  
"That's really _liberally_ from you, but maybe I should get myself a classmate who has the same classes."

Rachel laughed. "Yeah, sure. Search for another student that has a schedule like me. Good luck with that."

Jesse groaned. This girl could be annoying. Rachel turned around the next corner, Jesse following her.  
"No offense, but who cares about your schedule? I have my own classes to attend, as I have been informed about."

Rachel raised a brow looking at him. "I wish it was that easy…" she muttered.

"What?" Jesse asked.

They turned around another corner when Rachel stopped in front of a classroom. The sign next to the door read B118. Jesse scanned the schedule he had gotten from the school clerk. There. Room B118. Math.

Rachel opened the door looking at Jesse.

"I don't care about what you do, but I have some classes to attend, so if you excuse me-" she said and slipped into the room.

He looked after her with his mouth open. _What was that?_

He entered the room, searching for Rachel. Once he spotted her, he planted himself in front of her table. She didn't even bother to look up. "What?" she asked.

He put his school supplied down on the table next to her. "Could you explain this to me?"

"I'm sitting there," a girl said. Jesse gave her a dazzling smile. She blushed. "Go ahead…"

Rachel looked up. She wanted to vomit. "What there's to explain about?"

He gestured to her.

"Oh, you mean that we attend the same class? Well, I already wished you good luck with finding some other student with a schedule like mine. Or should I say one like ours, buddie." She punched him on the shoulder.

Jesse blinked. "But you're what? Fifteen?"

Rachel smiled at him.

"You're a junior, too." Jesse recognized.

"Very well spotted, Sherlock."

"So we have a similar schedule?" He asked.

Rachel shook her head. "No, my friend. We have exactly the same schedule."

Jesse stayed silent. Rachel nodded. "Yeah… I'm as thrilled as you."

* * *

The rest of the school day hadn't turned out to be any different. When Rachel had told him they had the exact same schedule he wasn't completely believing her. There hadn't been any reason to. There was a age difference of two years between them and yet they were both juniors. And then it had turned out right what she had told him. There really wasn't anyone else with a schedule like theirs. _F*cking fantastic_. Jesse could imagine better things than to spend so much time with a girl who despised him.

And then his audition started. It hadn't taken him long to choose a song because, honestly, the song fitted him. The song fitted the situation. The song was him.

The other Vocal Adrenaline members watched him entering the stage. He grinned.

The music started..

**Well Hell sees her shadow on my backseat**  
**And her friends are standing right in front of me**  
**World wide from the Cimarron to Turkey**  
**Open up, saying everybody loves me**

Rachel snorted.

**And you don't have to make a sound**  
**'Cause they got what you need, what you need**  
**Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh**  
**Got love for the people that have warned you**  
**Got love, all your sentimental virtue**  
**Eight balls with the takers that'll make you**  
**Lay cards with the lovers that'll hate you**

He shot Rachel a challenging look. He knew that they wouldn't get along. She would never accept him as her boyfriend's replacement. She would never accept him as lead. She hated him. And he couldn't care less. Why miss the chance to piss her off then? Two could play that game.

**And you don't have to make a sound**  
**They got what you need, what you need**  
**Make you say**  
**Oh my, feels just like I don't try**  
**Look so good I might die**  
**All I know is everybody loves me**  
**Head down, swaying to my own sound**

Jesse rocked his hips seductively.

Some of the girls were close to fainting.

**Flashes in my face now**  
**All I know is everybody loves me**  
**Everybody loves me, everybody loves me**  
**Well I, play the music, don't stop till I turn gray**  
**Stars forever like John Sousa never fade**  
**He had a beautiful child, named her Desiree**  
**Hope I'm remembered for the things that I never made**  
**'Cause you don't have to make a sound**  
**When they got what you need**  
**Make you say**  
**Oh my, feels just like I don't try**

He knew there wasn't much of a choreography. He almost just sang. But they just wanted to hear him sing. This was it. The pure power of his voice.

**Look so good I might die**  
**All I know is everybody loves me**  
**Head down, swaying to my own sound**  
**Flashes in my face now**  
**All I know is everybody loves me**  
**Everybody loves me**  
**Everybody**  
**Everybody, oh**  
**Everybody**  
**Everybody**

**Don't need my health**  
**Got my name and got my wealth**  
**I stare at the sun**  
**Just for kicks all by myself**  
**I lose track of time**  
**So I might be past my prime**  
**But I'm feeling, oh so good**  
**Yeah**

And he really did. He enjoyed performing on stage. He enjoyed the admiration. He lived for the attention. He loved nothing more than this.

**Oh my, feels just like I don't try**  
**Look so good I might die**  
**All I know is everybody loves me**  
**Head down, swaying to my own sound**  
**Flashes in my face now**  
**All I know is everybody loves me**  
**Everybody loves me**  
**Don't you know who you are?**

**Everybody**  
**Everybody**  
**Everybody**  
**Whoa**

The second the last note escaped his lips, the other member of Vocal Adrenaline were on their feet giving him standing ovation.  
He _was_ lead.

* * *

Rachel had left the rehearsal somewhere between the ridiculous reactions of her female teammates and- no, she had left right there.  
She allowed herself to admit that he was a good singer. That he was even a better singer than Brody and she allowed herself to wonder what they would sound like together.  
And, boy, his voice was smooth.

Rachel shook these thoughts off and waited for Quinn who said she'd pick her up.

And she did. The moment she saw her entering the parking lot of Carmel in _her _Range Rover she knew it had been enough for one day.

She got into the car without another word and Quinn started the car.

"So you admit that he's incredible handsome?" Quinn asked referring to the message Rachel sent her.

Rachel gave her a tired look. "He's toxic," she answered. She wasn't referring to his looks...

"Indeed. That he is," Quinn replied and with that she started humming...

_**Baby, can't you see **_  
_**I'm calling **_  
_**A guy like you should wear a warning **_  
_**It's dangerous **_  
_**I'm falling…**_

* * *

_Songs:_  
**_One Republic _"Everybody loves me"  
_Britney Spears _"Toxic"  
**

**I really don't know how I got that idea but I loved the imagination of Jesse singing that song. **

**And Jesse and Rachel? Well, what there's more to say about? I love their relationship :D**

* * *

**Nele? Alles Gute zum 20ten. **

**May 26, 2014.**


	8. Auditions

For the Germany national football team who just beat Portugal with 4-0. #Müller #Hummels #WM2014

For _Eulphy Winchester-Chase_ who started to continue _The Bitter Taste Of Envy. _I loved it.

For all of you who wanted an update. Thanks for reviewing, following and favoriting. It means the world to me :)

* * *

**A/N:** You can imagine _Brody's_ audition like the actual performance, just that this one was the practice with Rachel. It's like season one's "One". The audition and the practice "are" shown simultaneously. Hope that makes sense.  
**Disclaimer: **still doesn't own any character...

* * *

_Auditions_

"Okay, you know what?" Rachel said. "Forget everything I've said before. Please do me the favor and audition. I can't stand the idea of Giselle being lead." She looked at Giselle who was shooting flirtatious look towards Jesse. It was disgusting.

"I'll pass," Katie answered. "Next time maybe."

Giselle was standing on the stage auditioning with some unimpressive cover of some pop song Rachel wouldn't even have bothered to audition with.  
Her voice wasn't fitting the song at all and to make things worse Rachel had the impression that Giselle was doing too much.  
She remembered Jesse had rarely been moving at the stage while singing and Giselle seemed to be the complete opposite. She was trying too hard. She was trying too hard to get Rachel's lead position that she actually had gotten the moment Rachel proposed it.  
Rachel pursed her lips. She had never regretted anything more in her life than this.  
Giselle was dancing like the world was about to end. And then her outfit…  
Rachel didn't want to think about it any longer but it didn't stop her from checking Shelby's reaction. She wondered what her coach was thinking about it and she was pleased with the fact that Shelby had a frown on her face and looked slightly annoyed.  
Rachel smiled. At least Shelby recognized Giselle's overacting.  
Rachel let her look wander around the auditorium. She watched the reactions of her other teammates. If anything, they looked loyal. They were supporting Giselle but still wise enough to know that their actual team captain was still there watching them with eagle eyes.  
Rachel's look stopped at the boy sitting only a few seats away from her, a curly strand of hair falling into his face. She studied his face a few seconds longer and frowned. She couldn't catch any reaction. He was sitting there, still like a statue, without any emotion on his face. He didn't reflect a single thing.  
Rachel wondered if he was being objective, if he was going to tell them his opinion after Giselle was finished- _wasn't it about time? How long was this song?_\- when someone tapped her shoulder.

Rachel turned her head around. Katie was looking at her with an amused expression. "Did you hear anything of what I said in the last few minutes?"

Rachel knitted her brows. "You said something? I'm so sorry," she stuttered.

Katie smiled. "No, I didn't. Not that it would have stopped you two from eye-sexting."

Rachel looked at her confused. "I was what? But Bro—" Her eyes landed on Jesse again. He was looking at her with a grin on his face. She hadn't noticed that he had started to stare back. Her eyes widened. "NO! Oh my god, Katie, no. Eww. I wouldn't—He wouldn't—no! No no no no no."

Katie raised a brow. "Are you sure?"

Rachel shot her a glare. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"It's worth a shot."

"No," Rachel repeated.

Katie shrugged her shoulders. "O-k."

Rachel rolled her eyes and turned her attention towards the stage again only to notice that Giselle was finally done with her audition and the other Vocal Adrenaline member clapped politely.

* * *

Rachel and Katie were heading towards Psychology class with Brody on their side.

After Giselle's audition Rachel wasn't really in the mood to talk. Especially not after what had happened with him. Or after what hadn't happened.

Katie and Brody were clever enough not to ask questions. They knew better than that.

So when they walked down the halls and other students were making room for them, Rachel calmed down and a smile formed on her lips again. Then she heard someone calling her name. Her smile froze.

The three friends turned around only to see Jesse walking towards them.

Brody and Rachel exchanged a look. Rachel sighed.

"_You haven't told me that this new male lead was the one and only Jesse St. James", Brody said._

_Rachel knitted her brows in confusion. "First off all: I didn't know that Shelby recruited him. I already told you. And secondly: What is it with him? Everyone's acting like he just saved the world. In Math he took the seat right next to mine and when Lindsey told him that it was her seat all he had to do was smile. _Smile. _I mean, what the hell? "_

_Brody raised a brow. "He took a seat next to yours?"_

_Rachel nodded._

"_But- why? I mean you two aren't going to become best of friends, aren't you? Did I miss something?"_

_Rachel shrugged. "Yeah, right? At the beginning I thought he had only done that because I was the one who showed him around." Big mistake. "But after Math he really seemed to purposely want to piss me off. I don't know what I have done to this boy__-__" _besides not falling for him like an idiot like every other girl "-_and then he sung this song at his audition. I could swear one line was completely directed to me. Like a declaration of war or something. I guarantee you, he just likes to annoy me because my reactions are entertainment to him… He needs a life."_

"_Well, but you _left_ the rehearsal. He _has _a point. You _are _really easy to piss off. And don't you think you are _getting _a bit paranoid?"_

_Rachel shot Brody a dirty look. "_Careful._"_

_Brody sighed. "So you honestly want to tell me you don't know who he is?"_

_Rachel nodded._

_Brody stared at her in disbelief. "You've just got to be kidding me."_

_Rachel rolled her eyes. "_No_, I'm not." She slowly lost her patience._

"_Okay. Then google him. You need to see it. It'll explain anything."_

"_Okay," Rachel answered. "Later."_

_Brody nodded._

_After a moment of silence Rachel changed the topic. "So do you already know what you will be auditioning with tomorrow?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Do you want to practice it?" Rachel said with a gleam in her eyes._

_Brody smiled. _

"You could have waited for me, you know?" Jesse punched her shoulder. "Since we're buddies and all."

Rachel gritted her teeth. Brody raised a brow. _He has a point. You are really easy to piss off._  
Rachel remembered what Brody had said and she had decided that she would try her best to not react when Jesse tried to provoke her. Rachel smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Bad habit."

Jesse squinted his eyes. "Sure."

They stood in the hallway for another few awkward seconds when Rachel said: "You already know Katie?" She pointed towards the girl next to Brody. She was even smaller than Rachel. He had never imagined something like this being possible.

Jesse shook his head no. He had seen Katie at Rachel's side most of the time. He had assumed that she was one of her closer friends. They shook hands. Jesse didn't even make an effort to impress her. Her opinion about him would have surely been influenced by Rachel by now.

"And this is my boyfriend Brody," Rachel said.

"_I know_," Jesse muttered. He tried his best to hide his aversion for the boy . Brody and Jesse stared at each other both trying to gauge their rival's behavior. The tension was palpable.

"Au-kay," Katie said. "I think we should head to class then, shouldn't we?"

Rachel nodded suddenly slightly uncomfortable with the situation. "Right."

Brody turned around and gave Rachel a long kiss on the lips.

Somebody cleared his throat.

"Alright," Brody said. "See you later."

Rachel stood there for another moment watching Brody heading in the different direction with a puzzled look on her face.

She turned around again and they started walking to class nobody daring to say a word. They just entered class when the school bell rang.

* * *

"You're afraid, aren't you?" Jesse whispered.

Rachel's head snapped around. _Her luck, that Jesse was sitting right behind her._

"Could you please stop talking?" Rachel hissed. "I'm trying to pay attention here."

He didn't say a word. Rachel turned around with satisfaction. So he knew how to shut up.

"Just admit it," he whispered back.

Rachel groaned quietly. She would make sure to get herself seats as far as possible away from him in their other classes.

The moment their psychology teacher, Mr. Anschlag, turned towards the blackboard Rachel turned around again.

"Admit what?" she asked.

"That you're afraid that I will take your boyfriends position as lead."

Mr. Anschlag started to write Freud's "Id, ego and super-ego"-model down.

"I am _not_ afraid," Rachel whispered back. "What would it matter to me anyway? It doesn't have to do anything with me", she lied.

"Yeah about that," Jesse answered. "Why are you even in Vocal Adrenaline if you are not singing? What's the purpose?"

"I _am _her right hand," Rachel repeated.

Jesse looked at her doubtfully.

"What?" Rachel asked. "It's true. I have an absolute pitch."

Jesse laughed quietly. "You are the only person I know who refers to it by its actual term."

Rachel gave him a confused look.

"You know: perfect pitch? Most of the people remember it like this after _Pitch Perfect. _A horrible movie if you'd ask me."

"Which I don't," she answered.

"Ahem." Rachel's eyes widened. Jesse smirked. She turned around only to see Mr. Anschlag staring at them. Rachel did the first thing that came to her mind to make damage control. She put on her show face.

"Mr. Anschlag, what can I do for you?"

"Stop talking with Mr. St. James would be a start."

Rachel frowned. "Oh, but I didn't-" She shook her head. "Jesse asked me for the direction to the restroom. And since he's new and all and Ms. Corcoran told me to keep an eye on him I thought it was okay to answer him. I'm sorry if I was a distraction. It won't happen again."

Mr. Anschlag slowly nodded. "Okay, Rachel. Since he's new and all… Please do me the favor and escort him to the restroom then. We don't want any more distractions, right?"

"Right, Sir," Rachel answered and got up from her seat.

She turned around and looked at Jesse who was still sitting at his place. He had an amused look on his face and when Rachel shot him a dirty look he finally got up.

He apologized again. "Thank you, Sir."

They were heading towards the door, Rachel following Jesse. Rachel made a grimace and Katie giggled. Rachel's lips turned slightly up. Rachel closed the door behind her. When she turned around she collided with Jesse and flinched.

"God, why are you standing there like a wall?"

A smile played on his lips. "What was that?" he asked amused.

"That was _me _saving _our _butts_," _she answered sarcastically. "You're welcome."

"That was quite impressive." He took a step closer to her.

"Yeah? Good to know that my acting classes show effect."

"You take acting classes?"

She stared at him. "Hard to believe, right? Especially after I am not a full member of Vocal Adrenaline. Even with my _perfect pitch._"

He took another step closer. They were now only separated by a tiny gap of air.

Rachel smiled. "What do you think you are doing?"

Jesse smiled. "I'm just trying to check how far I need to go."

Rachel pointed at their distance. "I think that's pretty close."

Jesse shrugged. He looked her straight in the eyes. She didn't even flinch.

"Hm. I guess something's wrong with you. You aren't reacting to anything. And I thought you were so repudiating because you had a thing for me."

"Oh my god, you've got me. You're just irresistible."

"Glad we're on the same page then," Jesse winked at her. Rachel rolled her eyes.

He took a step back and looked curiously at Rachel. "And what was that at the girl's audition this morning? You were staring at me."

"I was only trying to read your reaction."

Jesse knitted his brows. "And you did that because…?"

"I did it because Giselle is most likely going to become your female lead. I just wanted to know what you are thinking."

"So you do admit that _I _am most likely to win this little competition with your boyfriend?" Jesse nodded understandingly. He took a step closer to her again. Rachel threw her head back laughing.

"I already told you it doesn't matter to me. There is no reason."

"Then tell me something about that Giselle girl. Is she equal to my talent? Is she worth my effort? What I have seen this morning wasn't really significant."

"She's—" Rachel struggled "-something. Giselle's something." Rachel smirked. "That's all to know about it."

The two were staring at each other challenging when they heard footsteps.

"Rachel?" Brody turned around the corner heading towards them. He looked at them in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just heading towards the restroom when I bumped into Jesse. Good that he was able to catch me." She looked at Jesse with a show face. "Thanks for helping."

He slowly nodded.

"And you? Where are you going to?"

"Secretariat," Brody answered.

"Great. That's just on my way. You can escort me then." She linked her arms with his.

Brody looked at Jesse and nodded. "Jesse."

"Brian."

Rachel glowered at Jesse. She turned around dragging her boyfriend with her, leaving Jesse behind.  
He was watching her walking down the hall. She didn't turn around.

* * *

Rachel was standing in front of the sinks in the girls bathroom looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were slightly pink and she was breathing heavily. She was raging.

She didn't know what Jesse was trying to pull off and she wanted to hurt him.  
It had only been two days with him and he already knew how to get under her skin.  
She hated him.

She looked at her reflection and tried to calm down. One breath, two breaths.  
She closed her eyes and her breathing calmed down.  
The image of Jesse's smirking face appeared on her mind and her eyes shot open. _What the hell?_

Rachel pulled out her mobile phone and dialed the first number that came to her mind.

The phone rung three times when somebody answered.

"Well, well, well. If that isn't my little sister calling me in the middle of class. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm going to murder him."

"Murder who?"

"Jesse," Rachel spat.

"Ah, of course," Quinn answered. "You've got some hot pants for him"

"Ew." Rachel answered.

"You're such a prude."

"Says the one who's head of celibacy club." Quinn scoffed.

"But didn't you already wanted to murder him _yesterday_?"

"The feeling's increased."

"Sure it has." Quinn laughed. "You two are so adorable. I can't wait to see it myself."

Rachel wrinkled her nose. "You're no help."

"What do you want to hear from me, then? I thought you already decided to ignore his attempts to provoke you."

"It gets quite difficult if he is sitting next to you _in Every. Single. Class_."

"Ooh, well… I can imagine." Quinn giggled. "But you have to admire his persistence."

Rachel hung up.

It only took a few seconds for Quinn to call back.

"Okay, okay. I get that it wasn't the cleverest idea to say that."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "_Really_?"

"You have two options. The first one is to continue with your strategy to ignore him. But you see how that has worked so far…"

Rachel threw her hands up in horror. She had an idea what was about to come.

"Or, and this is option number two, you are acting as if you are giving in. You need to let him think that he won to beat him on his own game." Rachel sucked in her breath. " I'm sorry to say this, but I think you need to befriend him."

The conversation went silent.

It took Rachel a few moments to answer. "This will get more difficult than you imagine. He _knows _that I'm, well… not—that I… Well, I'm basically convinced that he knows that I can't stand him."

"So what?" Quinn answered. "Do what you always do. _Act_. I know you can do it. Just see it as acting exercise."

Rachel nodded. "Okay. I'll try,"

* * *

Rachel left the restroom a few seconds later. She made her way back to her Psychology class when she noticed Jesse still standing there.  
It was the perfect opportunity to make amends.

"You waited?" Rachel beamed.

Jesse raised a brow. _Too much__._

"I could've hardly went back in there without you when I was the one who had to use the bathroom, now could I?"

Rachel shook her head. "You're so smart."

Jesse nodded. "Now should we?" he asked and nodded towards the door.

Rachel smiled.

He was opening the door for Rachel and just when she was about to enter the room again she felt his hot breath against her ear.

"Even if you hadn't told me about your acting classes you wouldn't really believe that I would buy that, right?" Jesse whispered.

* * *

For the rest of the school day Rachel had tried to avoid Jesse as much as possible.  
She didn't know how to befriend him, how to get to know him better, now that she had already made it clear what she thought of him. She would need to get an option number three and she hoped that Quinn was going to help her.

Rachel, Katie and Brody were heading to the auditorium where Brody was supposed to audition.  
Rachel and him had practiced the song long enough for Rachel to know that he had a good chance… if there only hadn't been the fact that she already knew that Shelby was going to choose Jesse over Brody.  
It was such a pity. So much work for nothing.

Rachel squeezed her boyfriends hand. It didn't matter anymore if he was going to become male lead or not. She had just realized that she hadn't really lied about it before. They were a couple and they would go through good and bad together.

They entered the auditorium. Shelby spotted Rachel and she made her way to the student. Rachel knew what was coming. She had left the rehearsal the day before without another word. They had already discussed that topic at home but she had also told her that she needed to reprimand her in front of her teammates. That she needed to do it in front of Jesse.

And when Shelby did it, Jesse grinned.

But Rachel didn't pay attention to anyone but Brody. He was positioning himself on stage and when he looked for her she gave him an encouraging smile that he returned.

She was remembering their practice together and when his audition started a few moments later all she saw was them singing together.

**Sing it out,**  
**Boy, you've got to see what tomorrow brings.**  
_**Sing it out,**_  
_**Girl, you've got to be what tomorrow needs.**_

**For every time.**  
**That they want to count you out,**  
_**And use your voice,**_  
_**every single time you open up your mouth.**_

**Sing it for the boys,**  
**Sing it for the girls,**  
**Every time that you lose it sing it for the world.**  
**Sing it from the heart,**  
**Sing it till you're nuts,**  
**Sing it out for the ones that'll hate your guts.**  
**Sing it for the deaf,**  
**Sing it for the blind,**  
**Sing about everyone that you left behind.**  
**Sing it for the world,**  
**Sing it for the world.**

**Cleaned-up corporation progress,**  
**Dying in the process.**

**Buy yourself the motivation,**  
**Generation nothing.**  
**Nothing but a dead scene,**  
**Product of a white dream.**  
**I am not the singer that you wanted,**  
**but a dancer.**  
**I refuse to answer,**  
**Talk about the past, Sir **

**and wrote it for the ones who want to get away.**

_**Keep running!**_

**Sing it for the boys,**  
**Sing it for the girls,**  
**Every time that you lose it sing it for the world.**  
**Sing it from the heart,**  
**Sing it till you're nuts,**  
**Sing it out for the ones that'll hate your guts.**  
**Sing it for the deaf,**  
**Sing it for the blind,**  
**Sing about everyone that you left behind.**  
**Sing it for the world,**  
**Sing it for the world.**

**We've got to see what tomorrow brings!**  
**Sing it for the world,**  
**Sing it for the world.**  
**Boy, you've got to be what tomorrow needs!**  
**Sing it for the world,**  
**Sing it for the world**

* * *

Songs:  
_**My Chemical Romance **_**"Sing"**

* * *

_11 days._

**June 16, 2014.**


	9. Discoveries

_Figaro._  
_Always._

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own any character. Not even that hot British boy... *sighs***

* * *

_Discoveries_

Quinn hadn't seen Rachel for the rest of the school week. Their call telephone call on Tuesday and some SMS messages had been all for their information exchange. Quinn had wondered the whole week what had been up with Rachel. She had been unusual quiet. When Rachel had come to Quinn's home like she always did at the weekends and Quinn had asked what was going on, all Rachel had done was to start the computer and open a video of a Regionals performance from two years ago. She didn't say one word.

Now Quinn was sitting in front of the computer watching the video with a dumbstruck look on a face.

Rachel was lying on Quinn's bed staring at the ceiling.

Nobody said a thing for the next six minutes.

"That was _him?!"_

Rachel put a pillow on her head and groaned.

"_That was him?!" _Quinn repeated.

Rachel sat up and stared at her with an uneasy look on her face.

"But… I don't get it. You were_ there. _How could you not have noticed it was him?"

Rachel laughed. She had asked herself the exact question for the past few days.

"It had been the same year you won Sectionals with your solo of _Don't Rain On My Parade… _And you were there. How couldn't you've noticed?"

Quinn clicked the repeat button and the video started again.

**Is this the real life? **  
**Is this just fantasy? **  
**Caught in a landslide **  
**No escape from reality **  
**Open your eyes **  
**Look up to the skies and see **

"I mean," Quinn said pointing towards the monitor, "How could you not notice that this—"

**I'm just a poor boy (Poor boy) **  
**I need no sympathy**

"-WAS HIM?!"

_Good question_. Maybe she had been to ignorant to notice it? Maybe Rachel had been to amazed with the performance to pay attention to the Regionals brochure that she had needed to leave behind? She had needed to leave quickly back then.

**Because I'm easy come, easy go **  
**Little high, little low**

Quinn was right. She should have recognized him. She should have recognized him the day he auditioned. The day she heard him sing again.

Two years ago she had visited _his _Regionals competition in order to spy. Vocal Adrenaline had just won their Regionals and they needed to know what the competition was capable of.  
Back then Rachel had been both amazed and terrified of his talent.  
She wondered what had made her forget what she had seen.

**Any way the wind blows **  
**Doesn't really matter to me, to me**

But when she watched him on screen she suddenly remembered. She paused the video. _He was an ass_.  
Rachel had thought that his voice had sounded somewhat familiar but she didn't get to think about it any more because he had proved to be insufferable. She hadn't wanted to imagine that someone that talented was that much of a pain in the ass, too. She didn't even bother to get the idea that the boy she had admired for his _Bohemian Rhapsody _interpretation was the same boy who sung _Everybody Loves Me _at his audition. Another laugh escaped Rachel's mouth. _Talk about Freddie Mercury. _She remembered Katie mentioning something along this.

"You had a crush on him for more than what? " Quinn continued. "Three months?"

"Two," Rachel corrected. "And I was _fourteen_," she added defensively. "It didn't mean anything."

Quinn shook her head laughing. "But I still don't get that. Even if you were too headstrong to notice that this-", she pointed to the monitor again, "-was him, then why hadn't you noticed that you had to compete against him at Nationals?"

Rachel stayed silent. She knew the reason why she didn't remember him from Nationals. She had looked for him but… "He wasn't there."

Quinn looked at Rachel with surprise.

"I admit," Rachel started, "that I had been looking for him two years ago. I knew that he was the only real competition there. But when his team performed he wasn't part of it anymore."

"He wasn't—oh." Realization hit Quinn. "The year abroad. He had already left."

Rachel nodded. "That's the only reasonable explanation. I guess I would have to ask him myself but I wouldn't allow myself to admit that I was there. Who knows which stupid reaction I would get. No, thanks."

Quinn stayed silent.

"And you know what's the worst of all of this? I will never know if we just won because he wasn't competition anymore. He is part of my team now and I will never know if we just won because he was gone."

A pitiful expression appeared on Quinn's face. She couldn't deny the fact that nobody could knew the answer to this. She just wanted to assure Rachel that they would have done well either way when Rachel cleared her throat.

"Well," she said. "It's the past now. I shouldn't think about it any longer. What happened, happened."

Quinn nodded.

"But I still need to think of a way to befriend him. These other options…"

Rachel informed Quinn about what happened after they had ended their phone call. That he had told her that she wouldn't buy her act and that Rachel partly blamed herself for it because she had been overacting a little. And he was the Bohemian Rhapsody-boy after all. Of course he wouldn't have bought it.

Quinn sighed. "You just have to get into a sarcastic mode when you're trying to correct your former behavior, don't you?"

* * *

Five days. It had been five days since Jesse started at Carmel.  
It had been five days since he had _auditioned _for Vocal Adrenaline and it had been five days since he had met _Rachel Berry_.  
He always tried not to think about her any longer because it always seemed to end badly.  
It had been fun to annoy her the first two days, but after he had told her that he didn't believe her little act, after she came back from the restroom the other day, he had noticed a change in her behavior.  
When Ms. Corcoran had announced who was lead a day later Rachel had just squeezed Bradley's hand. He remembered that he had a grin on his face and that he waited for an angry reaction from her _and_ that he hadn't gotten anything close. She had just stared into space and when she finally had caught sight of him she gave him a small smile and turned around again. She hadn't paid attention to anyone else in their rehearsal after that. Not even her coach.  
The days after this hadn't turned out to be any different. Rachel had been clever enough to get herself seats as far as possible from him in most of their classes. Jesse hadn't known Rachel for that long but he knew something was wrong with her. He just couldn't quite put a finger on it.  
At first he had thought that she was just punishing everyone (_him) _with silence because her boyfriend Brad wasn't lead anymore but now he believed that it maybe really had never mattered to her. But she wasn't the girl anymore who he had started to admire for her constancy against his… _behavior._ Now she wasn't better than any other girl.

* * *

"How do you expect me to act… _normal _around him? What is that even supposed to mean? _Normal_?"  
Quinn sighed. Sometimes Rachel was really slow. "With normal I mean that you just have to act around him like you do with every other boy besides Brody. He's your boyfriend after all. But it's not like you aren't talking to any other boys, right? You do have male friends?"

Rachel looked hopefully at Quinn. "I'm friends with Kurt."

Quinn squinted her eyes. "He's gay."

"And…?"

"That doesn't count."

"But-"

"No."

"Why-"

"Because he doesn't want to get into your pants. Everybody who doesn't isn't included in my definition of _other _boys."

Rachel frowned. "But-"

"No," Quinn repeated.

Rachel pouted. She walked up and down the bedroom.  
She needed another second to think of someone who was male enough to want to get into her, well, maybe into girls in general, pants. She hit her forehead with her hand.

"Of course… There's one boy in my church. He's a really nice guy although he's a bit of a macho. But I like him. We're somewhat like closer friends."

"Ok, that's a start. And how do you act around him?"

"Eh, _normal?_ I don't know, ok? " Rachel replied. "We were briefly dating but he knows me well enough to not like me this way… which I think is paradoxical."

Quinn laughed. "_Completely_ paradoxical."

Rachel shot her a look. "_Ouch._"

"Sorry?"

"_Yeah, right_."

"See? The sarcastic mode again," Quinn pointed out.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders.

"So you really think that it would be okay for me to act around _Jesse _like I do with you and all the others that I'm friends with?"

Quinn nodded. "You can't expect him to believe that you want to be friends when you are acting like a sourpuss. You have to stop _acting _and you need to be yourself."

Rachel smirked. "But you do know that this includes my loveable character trait to annoy people, right?"

"You weren't you if you weren't annoying," Quinn answered with a smile.

"Thank you!"

"Always."

The two sisters looked at each other laughing. Quinn still sat in front of her computer turning herself around, the frozen imagine of Jesse from two years ago still on the monitor. She looked at the boy's face and remembered the conversation they had held. _No worries. You'll get to meet her sooner or later. _Seemed like it would be sooner then.

* * *

"So how is the air in Ohio?" a British sounding voice asked.

"Not bad, I suppose. But it's definitely sunnier here." Jesse chuckled.

"And school? How is this show choir you have told me about?"

"A little exhausting. But I like it. It's what I came here for after all. Auditions ended on Wednesday so we haven't really done that much."

The boy on the other line choked on his drink.

"Audition? She let you audition?!"

"Yeah, well, long story. I still think it was the ex-male-lead's girlfriend fault but I can't prove it. Doesn't matter anyway in the end. It didn't stop me from getting the part."

The boy laughed. "And your female lead? I hope she's able to keep up with you."  
Jesse could basically see him raising his brows.

"She's… something," Jesse replied using Rachel's words.

"Ah. Sounds _interesting… _Anything else?"

Jesse remained silent, he didn't know if he should talk about _her, _when his thoughts got interrupted.

"So who's the girl?"

Jesse's eyes widened.

"Which girl?" he asked.

"The girl you didn't know if you should talk about because you suddenly got very quiet. Come on, Jesse. I've known you long enough to know when something's happened?"

Jesse struggled. _What happened? _He had no idea. "Nothing," he answered.

The boy on the other line went silent.

"Nothing? You are making that much of a fuss and nothing happened? _Really?_"

"_Yeah_..?"_ Well, _that_ sounded convincing_, Jesse thought. He wouldn't even believe himself.

"Au-kay…" Yep, he didn't sounded convinced either.

"It's just that she used to have such a big mouth the first two days," Jesse blurted. "And now there's nothing... Literally _nothing_."

"Do I hear a desperate note in your voice?" He answered amused.

Jesse snorted.

"Did something change in the meantime?"

"Not that I know."

"Well, then you know what I have to do, right?"

Jesse shook his head. "No, you don't."

"Is she single?" the boy replied.

"Not exactly…"

"Oh, well, then I definitely have to do it," he said with an amused voice. "See you Jesse."

* * *

"We just have to be careful about one thing," Quinn said. "Since you didn't want him to know that you were lead you need to be careful about that one. You can't mention anything in that direction."

Rachel nodded.

"And," Quinn added, "I need to lay the foundation of your friendship." Quinn pulled her mobile phone out of her bag and smiled weakly. "You are not going to like it…"

Rachel let herself fall back on the bed again and groaned.

* * *

**Today, my cat, my best friend, the love of my life has been put to sleep.  
He was the only one who got to see my true self, every good and ugly  
parts of me and he still decided to mess around with me...  
I am so lucky for having the honor of being a part of his life. He was amazing...  
He was the greatest pet I will ever know and I will never forget him.  
I love you. 1997-2014 †**

* * *

_Because I wrote this before..._

**I know, this was a filler chapter.**.. **and a lot of conversation.**..**But I needed it to set a foundation _for_ Rachel's and Jesse's friendship ;)  
**

**Please review :)**

_Six days...  
_

**June 21, 2014**


	10. The Funny Ones

_Apia, Samoa. Future._

**A/N: Just imagine the audition at the bottom like the performance in season four. Rachel - _Giselle_ \- Both  
Disclaimer: I don't own any character or song.  
**

* * *

_The Funny Ones_

Rachel lay in her bed at Monday morning staring at her alarm clock twenty minutes before it was supposed to ring. She hadn't slept well.  
She had a nervous feeling inside of her chest and for a first she was terrified of something.  
Today was the audition for Funny Girl.  
At Friday's Vocal Adrenaline Rehearsal Shelby had informed the show choir about the upcoming auditions.  
The first audition was supposed to be today. They were looking for Fanny.  
On Friday nobody but Giselle had dared to sign up for the audition. Rachel had needed to fight back a sarcastic comment then. _Of course nobody would have dared to. _It was _her_ role… like in _Rachel's_.

Rachel turned around again trying to get a little more rest before she had to get up. She couldn't.  
Her mind was always on the audition later and she knew she had to compete against Giselle. _Compete. _Rachel let out a snort. She had already gotten the Vocal Adrenaline lead and Rachel for sure wouldn't let her get Fanny, too.

So Rachel got up, went to the kitchen making herself a morning smoothie and head back to her room. She changed into her gym clothes and started her morning routine. Half an hour later she stepped down the cross trainer again. She took a shower, dried her hair and now she was standing in front of her wardrobe looking for clothes that were eligible enough to go to school with when she is supposed to audition for her dream role (even if it's just a high school production) and that aren't revealing more than they should… _to Jesse_. Because he still wasn't supposed to know that Rachel was lead for two years.

Rachel decided the black waisted top, the black and white plaid skirt she was wearing, combined with black knee highs and the red ballerina shoes just have to make an _eligible_ impression.

Still twenty minutes ahead of her routine she was heading towards the kitchen again when somebody knocked on her door. Shelby opened it with a little smile on her face.

"I need to show you something."

Rachel nodded, following her to the living room. Shelby turned around blocking Rachel's view and continued.

"I know things have been… _different." Nice choice of words, _Rachel thought. "And we wanted to surprise you now that the Funny Girl auditions are starting. I know that you haven't seen each other longer and we both decided that it was about time." Shelby moved aside revealing the visitor.

She wore black shoes, a skirt with black and blue stripes and a wide grey shirt that fell off her left shoulder. She was looking at Rachel with the same brown hair and smiled. The same brown eyes were staring back at her and Rachel let out an excited scream.

* * *

Rachel was smiling brightly when she took her seat in Math. The rest of her morning had turned out to be great.

"You had a crush on me?" Jesse whispered in her ear. He was seating himself next to Rachel with a grin on his face. Her smile faltered for a second.

Rachel choked. "I beg your pardon?"

Jesse laughed. "Yeah, Quinn already warned me that you would react that way. It's totally fine, though. It's nice to know that even you can't resist me."

"I was fourteen," Rachel huffed. "And you at least could have come up with something smoother than _You had a crush on me?"_

"She told you?"

"Duh- I was there," she answered with a smile.

"You are in an unlikely good mood today," he said with a wondering look.

Rachel smiled again. "Yeah," she replied. "And even you can't change that today. Sorry to disappoint."

"I haven't really tried…" he answered back.

Rachel threw back her head laughing. "You can try as much as you want."

"Well then…," he replied. "So about that crush…"

Rachel shook her head. "Don't go there."

"But you said I could try as much as I want. So…"

Rachel sighed. "Ok. What do you want to know?"

"How could you be able to forget that you had a _crush _on me. I mean-" he said pointing up and down himself, "-how was that even possible? Just look at my hair." Rachel did.

"Maybe I was too distracted by your dazzling personality?" she remarked.

"Ouch," Jesse said putting a hand over his heart. "You just hit my weak spot, Berry."

Rachel raised a brow. "Berry?"

Jesse shrugged.

Rachel rolled her eyes.

* * *

The school bell rang and Rachel and Katie were heading for the cafeteria when somebody tapped Rachel on the shoulder.

"What do you think you are doing?" Giselle asked.

Rachel turned around her eyebrows knitted. "Excuse me?"

"You signed up for Funny Girl," Giselle explained.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "And what if that's so?"

Giselle let out a snort. "But you can't audition. I _am_ the female lead now."

Rachel laughed. "And this has to deal with the musical because…?"

Giselle looked at Rachel with a bewildered expression.  
"What's with the need to rest your voice?" she suddenly asked.

"I think I did." She looked at Katie with an amused expression. "How long did you thought I needed to recover? It was laryngitis."

Giselle's face turned darker.

"I overheard your conversation with Jesse. You had a crush on him? Does Brody know about this?"

Rachel titled her head staring at Giselle with squinted eyes. "Are you that desperate? You would really do anything in order to not compete with me, right? That's pathetic."

"So he doesn't know yet," she replied smiling.

"He doesn't. And I don't really know what's the problem about it."

Giselle's smile turned into a smirk. "Well, you've already fallen for him once. Who guarantees your precious little boyfriend that you won't fall for him again?"

_Me, _Rachel wanted to answer. It was a ridiculous idea after all.

"This isn't an X-Men movie," she said instead.

Giselle was just about to reply when Brody cut it. "What about X-Men?"

Rachel turned around. She didn't know how to save the situation without giving Giselle what she wanted. Rachel wanted to tell Brody herself and she was sure he wouldn't make a big deal out of it. They were talking about the past after all. And Brody knew better.

"We were talking about the new X-Men movie," Katie blurted. "We were thinking of going to the cinema."

_Nice save._

"_Together_?" Brody asked looking back and forth between Rachel and Giselle. _Or not._

Rachel exhaled. "Well…"

"Cinema?" another voice asked. Jesse. _What a timing._

"Yeah, cinema. We were talking about going into the new X-Men movie. Want to join?" Giselle asked grinning.

"Days Of Future Past," Rachel added shooting Giselle a murderous look. "Even if the past isn't affecting the future like it probably does in the movie. Because it's _over. The past._"

Jesse watched the exchange with a little smile on his lips. Whatever happened between the two was just interesting to watch. _Giselle's something, _Rachel had said and now Jesse understood what she had really referred to. The two couldn't stand each other. For whatever reason. But he decided to get along with it. It was such a rare sensation of… _bonding. _He didn't want to miss any of it.

"Sure," he said.

* * *

Rachel was sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria her anger rising. What Giselle had pulled off was such- an _annoyance._ She already looked forward to their cinema visit. _Not that she didn't want to watch the movie…_ The conditions were the things that were bothering her. _With Jesse _and _Giselle_. Could it get any worse?  
So Rachel was sitting there at lunch poking at her salad staring into space. She was ready to kill.

"Don't give me that look," Dani said. "Not since I'm here."

Rachel's head snapped around. She looked at her cousin the reality dawning on her again. Right. Dani.

She was visiting to support Rachel with her Funny Girl audition. She hadn't been in New York at Brody's audition and Rachel had been disappointed when she wasn't able to meet her cousin.  
She had graduated the year Rachel had transferred to Carmel and now she was studying at NYU.

Rachel gave her a small smile. She remembered why she had been so enthusiastic this morning. Even Jesse hadn't been able to spoil her mood earlier. Only Giselle had been able to… Rachel squinted her eyes for a moment trying to get rid of her teammates sneering face. She shook her head. She couldn't deal with that yet. Auditions were up.

Rachel focused on Dani again and smiled.

"Of course." Rachel grinned.

Dani laughed. "I see you've grown out of the bangs."

Rachel played with a strand of her hair. "It was about time. Sometimes I still think of getting bangs again but I'm fine with what my hair looks at the moment."

Dani nodded. "Me too. But I thought it was really cute when you got yourself bangs shortly after I cut my hair."

Rachel smiled. "You were my hero. You know that."  
Brody and Katie exchanged a worried look.

Dani gave her a weak smile. "I didn't do anything."

"That's not true." Dani waved it off. She knew it was a sensitive subject to talk about and that Rachel still had times where it was difficult for her to deal with it.

She decided to change the topic.

"Doesn't matter. I'm here for your Funny Girl audition. How are you feeling?"

"I guess I'm fine. A little nervous though."

Brody let out a snort. "A little?" He turned to Dani. "She was worrying about it half of the weekend. She wasn't able to talk about anything else. And don't let me start with her practice. It's a wonder she still has a voice."

Katie nodded eagerly. "Same with me. She was… _annoying._ Not that she isn't annoying on common behavior," she shrugged her shoulders, "but that reached a whole new level."

Rachel shot her friends a glare. "_I'm glad to have such supporting friends_."

The other three laughed.

"Same old Rachel," Dani said.

* * *

"_WHAT?!"_ Giselle and Rachel said in union.

"I'm sorry to say this but we are short in time. Either you are going to audition together or we are forced to search for another Fanny."

The former Broadway star April Rhodes was looking at the girls giving a shrug.  
She was deciding whose students were getting which roles along with Shelby.

Rachel started panicking. There had been a reason why she had practiced that much. She knew that she would be able to win against Giselle without a doubt but there was still something about her voice that made her unsure of her talent for a moment. They had never had to sing a song together. Until now.

"We are going to practice a little choreography before and as you can see," she said pointing towards the back of the stage," we have already built the setting on stage. Your names are on the doors."

Rachel spotted Dani right next to Shelby sitting and the side of the stage and she nodded encouraging.

Twenty minutes later the two girls made her way to the changing room both getting a moment to prepare the song.

**Every breath you take**  
**And every move you make**  
**Every bond you break**  
**Every step you take**  
**I'll be watching you**

Rachel changed her clothes. If she had to audition together with Giselle she at least wanted to look like herself and since the audition was closed there wasn't any problem about it.

She looked into the mirror wearing a loose grey shirt above a black top, black leggings and dancing shoes.

When she left the room she came face to face with Giselle. She was wearing tight-fitting clothes, a black shirt that was half-transparent, a leggings and dancing shoes just like herself. Giselle gave her a knowing look and made her way to the stage beneath. Rachel followed her.

**Every single day**  
**And every word you say**  
**Every game you play**  
**Every night you stay**  
**I'll be watching you**

Dakota Stanley was giving them last instructions when she arrived and Giselle joined them.

_**Oh can't you see**_  
_**You belong to me**_  
_**How my poor heart aches**_  
_**With every step you take**_

The audition started.

Rachel took a step forward and started to dance like she had been told.

**Every move you make**

Giselle repeated the moves.

_**And every vow you break**_

**Every smile you fake**

_**Every claim you stake**_

**I'll be watching you**

Giselle was dancing on stage with the background dancers when Rachel was singing the next line  
**Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace**

and they were switching places every few seconds both watching the other with careful eyes.  
_**I dream at night, I can only see your face**_

**I look around but it's you I can't replace**  
_**I feel so cold and I long for your embrace**_

**I keep crying baby, baby please…**  
**Ooo, Ooo, Ooo, Ooo,**

They moved back to the first floor of the setting, Giselle following Rachel, working down their choreography,

**Every breath you take**  
**Every move you make**  
**Every bond you break**

_**Every step you take**_

closing doors, moving and singing.

**Every single day**  
**Every word you say**  
**Every game you play**

**Every night you stay**

Giselle made her way to the second floor where she continued the exact same choreography that Rachel was showing.

**Every move you make**  
**Every vow you break**  
**Every smile you fake**

**I'll be watching**

**Every single day**  
**Every word you say**  
**Every game you play**

The audition ended with both girls standing at the stage again singing the last line.

**I'll be watching**  
**You!**

Rachel folded her arms when Giselle turned around looking for her and left the stage two seconds later.

* * *

Jesse was leaning against the wall next to the auditorium's door. He was breathing a little heavily not believing what he just got to witness. He pulled out his phone hitting speed dial. When the phone was taken off Jesse said: "You will not believe what I just saw."

* * *

Songs:  
_**The Police **_**"Every Breath You Take"**

* * *

**Congratualtion to both Germany and the USA for moving to the round of 16. #WorldCup2014  
Even through we won I have to admire the defensive play of the USA; that was such a smart move by Klinsmann.  
**_And even though some Americans got a bit racist (Nazis? really?) _**the USA played very well.  
Even I pitied Howard when Müller shot the goal because he just held Mertesacker's shoot.  
It was a nice goal but I still understand the disappointment.  
**

**Well, still good luck for the Eighth Final.**

**June 26 **(27)**, 2014.**


	11. Crushes

**To Cecily.**  
**To Ed.**  
**To Me.**

**Sam. Tobey. Neville Longbottom.**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY! **_Present._

* * *

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to _Glee _and _A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song._**

* * *

_Crushes_

Rachel didn't know how she had ended up sitting between Jesse and Giselle watching _X-Men: Days of Future Past _in the cinema. Brody had somehow ended up next to Giselle, Katie at his other side. They were watching the movie in silence- _it was the cinema after all_\- but nobody dared to talk with their neighbor.  
Rachel was feeling slightly uncomfortable next to her former crush. Not that she was feeling uncomfortable because she used to have a crush on him two years ago- _because it had been _two years_ ago_\- but because she hadn't been able to figure him out yet. As much as Rachel got to see she knew that Jesse was a quiet person but still able to get himself everything he wanted. He was arrogant and cocky. Rachel knew that this could be blamed to his talent. The majority of girls were falling for his looks in a heartbeat and he knew how to use this for his advantage. She had seen it the first day in Math.

When Rachel got to think about it longer she realized how she had ended up sitting between Jesse and Giselle. She wanted to slap Giselle for it. Giselle had dared to tell Brody the truth about her former crush on Jesse. She hadn't had caught the right moment yet to do it herself. Giselle had told her that she wanted to see what it would take for Rachel to fall for him again.  
Rachel knew that Giselle was crushing on Jesse _now_ even though she was brilliant at hiding it. But Rachel knew better. She was a girl after all and she knew the methods. And even then Giselle wasn't really hiding it. She was flirting with Jesse non-stop but he didn't use to respond to it.  
One of the reasons Rachel had the pleasure to sit next to Jesse was that Giselle didn't want to look too desperate. She wanted to spend time with him but even Giselle knew that he wasn't really looking for her attention. She was his female lead and as much as Rachel got to see it was the only thing Jesse wanted to deal with. Had to deal with. It was such a shame. The two deserved each other.  
Giselle was sitting next to Brody because she wanted to be able to tell Brody Rachel's little secret the moment Rachel was doing a wrong move. How she made him agree to it she really couldn't recall. Katie was sitting at Brody's right. Rachel had at least been able to save one of her friends from… whatever this was.

So now they were sitting there all in line staring at Michael Fassbender's face that appeared on the big screen. Rachel swooned over him.

Jesse's head snapped around. He was watching Rachel with a non-credible look on his face. _Was she really swooning about the bad guy?_

Jesse's head turned to the screen again. He was watching _Magneto _and the only thought that crossed his mind was _old. _He was in his Thirties. Close enough to get forty.

Jesse wondered what Rachel saw in him. Or better said: what she didn't see in himself. Even if Jesse admitted that Michael Fassbender was handsome enough for his age he for sure knew that he was handsome _and_ young. His mouth twitched. Jesse remembered that Rachel _did_ have a crush on him. He grinned.

"Why are you grinning like that?" Rachel whispered.

Jesse looked at Rachel. He was tempted to make a witty respond but after a second of thinking about it he decided against it. They were in a cinema. Nobody would like to hear her screaming at him.

"Nothing," he murmured back.

Rachel raised a brow. She didn't believe him but she could already feel Giselle's stare in her back.

The movie finally came to a break and Rachel excused herself and disappeared to the restroom.

She washed her hands and was about to go back when she heard two people talking in the hallway.

"We both know that we are going to get together sooner or later. I don't know why you are acting like it isn't obvious. I am the female lead. Your female lead," Giselle insisted.

Jesse was standing in line getting himself another portion of popcorn and groaned quietly.  
He really didn't want to hold a conversation like that. Especially not at a place like that. He had thought that he had already made it clear that he wasn't interested in her. She didn't look like she had gotten the hint(s).

He paid for the popcorn and pulled Giselle aside.

"Giselle," he begun, "I don't know what you could have possibly sensed between us but… we are not going to become a couple."

Giselle's face fell for a moment until she regained her posture.

"You aren't my type," Jesse added.

Giselle folded her arms. "Your type? I'm everybody's type," Giselle remarked. "What's _your _type?"

_Talented. Gorgeous. Funny…. _A certain brunette he had just met plopped into his mind. Not that he would admit that. Especially not in front of Giselle. But he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Even if she was Giselle.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows."

Rachel watched them return to the cinema hall again and decided to follow them. When she reached her seat she was hardly trying to stifle the smile that was about to appear on her face. She failed.  
She was grinning from ear to ear.  
Rachel really didn't want to eavesdrop but… it just happened. It wasn't Rachel's fault that Giselle wasn't really trying to express her feelings in private.

Rachel's eyes met Jesse's and Rachel couldn't stop the grin to widen on her face. She was at least able to restrain a laughter.

Jesse raised a brow. A small smile was playing on his lips.

"Why are you grinning like that?" he asked.

"I can literally feel the upcoming chemistry between you two on stage,"she murmured.

"What?"

Rachel smiled amused. "Nothing," she murmured. "Nothing."

* * *

"Do you really need to follow us everywhere?" Rachel asked. Jesse hadn't stopped following Rachel and Katie since their first period this day. If Rachel wouldn't have known that he did that to annoy her (he just wanted to know what Brody really knew about Rachel's little crush on him and how he would react if he saw them together) she would have felt flattered.

"We have the same schedule," Jesse replied. "It's an offer I just have to value. Even you have to admit that, Berry."

Rachel glared at him. She stopped in front of the girl's restroom opening the door and holding it open. She gave Jesse a nonchalant look. "Want to join us?"

Jesse looked stunned. Then he answered: "Well, if you insist…"

Katie walked past Rachel dragging her friend into the bathroom.

Rachel slammed the door.

Jesse laughed.

"What is it with the two of you?" Katie asked as Rachel _closed_ the door behind them

Rachel stared at her reflection. "Quinn told him that I had a crush on him."

Katie dropped the paper towel. She couldn't refrain from laughing. "Really? When did that happen? And why didn't you tell me? I'm your best friend."

"I didn't tell you because you already knew. You were the one who pointed it out the day in your car when we had the pleasure to meet him."

Confusion was written all over Katie's face.

"_Freddie Mercury_," Rachel reminded her. "The day he auditioned."

"No way! The Bohemian Rhapsody boy was the one you had a crush on?" Katie slapped her forehead. "Of course! Why didn't I notice that before?"

Rachel clenched her jaw but she nodded.

"So that's why he acting like this… He knows it." Katie shrugged a little smirk on her face. "Well, to his defense: I would probably take advantage of it too."

Rachel put her face in her hands.

"You're no help."

When Rachel and Katie were leaving the restroom again Jesse was waiting for them leaning on the opposite wall of the hallway. Rachel spotted him and groaned. "He can't be serious," she hissed.

"As long as you don't tell Brody he will be," Katie replied.

"I know."

Jesse was walking over to them . "Tonight," Rachel added.

When Jesse reached them Rachel declared "You need friends."

"Not really."

"Seriously Jesse, do you even have any friends?"

Jesse titled his head. "Nah…"

"He does," a voice from behind said and they turned around.  
He walked towards them looking all cool and gorgeous. His blond hair shining in the sun and his green eyes laughing.

A genuine smile appeared on Jesse's face. "What are you doing here?" he asked and they hugged brotherly.

"I told you I needed to check on you and the girl with the big mouth that was making you so much trouble."

He looked at Rachel remembering the conversation he just bust in. "So you're that Berry girl he was talking about, huh?"

Rachel smirked. "You were talking about me? I'm flattered."

"I didn't. Just to make that clear."

"_Sure_."

"He actually wasn't… that much," the boy explained.

Rachel didn't even blink. "And you are?"

"Luke." He simply answered.

"Of course his best friend had to be the son of a famous record company owner..." Katie murmured.

He smirked at her. She hadn't been quiet enough after all. Luke turned his attention to that girl who seemed to know him. "And you are?" He asked.

"Nobody." She smiled. "And that's our cue to leave. Bye," she said dragging Rachel along with her.

The two friends stood there for another moment. Luke looked at Jesse.

"Are they all that small?"

Jesse laughed.

A few hallways away the girls stopped and Rachel raised a brow. "What was that about?"

"Let's just pretend that didn't happen."

"Why should we?"

"Because he is related to someone I sent a demo CD to…"

Rachel stopped Katie. "Wait, wait, wait. He is related to the owner of the Massive Records Company President?"

Katie nodded.

"In which relation?"

"He may be his son…," Katie quietly admitted.

Rachel's mouth opened. "You can't be serious! Why didn't you tell me that before? I was acting like a b*tch."

"You were you."

Rachel shot Katie a dirty look.

"Luke Morgan… I can't believe it. Too bad he's friends with that annoying boy. It could have been so promising…"

Katie laughed.

"At least he's really handsome. Maybe this will stop all the girls from (_only_) falling for Jesse. This really goes to his head… It's annoying."

Katie quietly nodded. "It really is."

* * *

Rachel was meeting her cousin at a café that was close to school. It was lunch break and Dani was going to leave again in a few days. She just had wanted to stay until the cast list was going to get posted.  
The waiter brought them their drinks. Rachel opened her bottle of water and Dani took a sip of her coffee.

"It has been weeks since the audition for Fanny," Rachel pouted.

"Well, they didn't seem to have casted someone who was good enough for Nick," Jesse said. He planted himself next to Rachel and Dani and smirked. Rachel rolled her eyes. _He was really following her everywhere._ _Too bad he had been making friends with Dani._

Dani smiled. "It's such a shame. I was really looking forward to the musical. Too bad they can't produce it without a Nick," she said.

Jesse was looking at her with a soft look on his face. He was calling the waiter ordering a coffee. "But they do."

"What?" both girls asked surprised.

"They do have a Nick now. It took a lot of convincing-" _because he really didn't want to work with Giselle again_"-but I had been offered the part the day Coach Corcoran offered it."

Rachel choked on her drink.

"Really?" Dani asked.

Jesse nodded. He was looking forward to work with her. He knew he had a silly smile on his face but she was the reason he had agreed to it after all. The girl he had heard singing two years ago.

Dani couldn't stop laughing. "I can't wait to see that cast list."

Jesse looked at Rachel questioningly. "What's it with her?"

"I have no idea," she lied.

* * *

"Rachel is an interesting character…," Luke stated.

"Really? You really want to talk about her? After what I've just told you?"

"She's older than you, Jesse."

"One year," he replied defensively. "And it's not like it had stopped me before."

Luke shrugged. "That's true."

"And she's the one."

Luke was looking at his best friend with a curious expression.

"She's the one I had been searching for ever since I heard her singing. She has such a marvelous voice. When you hear her sing you will understand," Jesse swooned. "It was such good luck that I transferred to Carmel. It was an inevitability."

Luke squinted his eyes. "Now you're overacting."

"Am not."

"You are."

Jesse's head turned to Luke. His eyes widened. "I really am, ain't I?"

Luke nodded.

Jesse cursed.

* * *

"I need to tell you something," Rachel said.

She was walking up and down her room while Brody was sitting quietly on her bed. "Me too," he admitted.

"Let me go first," she said. "There's something I have tried to tell you for weeks now. It isn't as bad as someone could assume but I wanted to tell you the truth before some other people would…" _use it against me any longer._

"Are you pregnant?" Brody asked. "Because I feel pretty confident that we didn't-"

"Oh God NO! Really?"

Brody shrugged his shoulder.

"No," Rachel repeated. "It is about something else."

Brody could see that she felt slightly uncomfortable. He got up and placed his hands on Rachel's shoulders.

"Whatever it is. You can just tell me."

Rachel nodded. This was the boy she fell in love with. He would go through thick and thin with her. Always.

"It's about me and Jesse..."

* * *

**LOL. **

**May I introduce you to Jesse's best friend Luke Morgan? Once again: _Once Upon A Song._  
I really adore** Freddie Stroma **in this movie. He made me enjoy Harry Potter and Pitch Perfect so much more :D  
And his voice... *swoons***

* * *

**Congrats to my former classmates for graduating. You just had to do it at my birthday, right?**

**June 27, 2014.**


	12. Pokerfaces

_**This.**_

_pic.  
twitter.  
com/  
1jTRd9ITHv_

* * *

_Dear Guest, _  
_I love you._

_Sincerely, me._

**It doesn't happen often (enough) that readers are reviewing but it is because of people like you that I continue writing.  
Hope this explains things.**

_Hawaii, US. Past._

* * *

**I'm too tired for a disclaimer...**

* * *

_Pokerfaces_

"When did you think you should tell me that you casted Jesse as Nick Arnstein?"Rachel shouted.

She was furious. She didn't like that Shelby had kept this a secret. If Rachel was supposed to play Fanny she would need to play with Jesse and that was an impossibility. How could she sing with him on stage while he wasn't supposed to know that it was her. What did Shelby expect? That she was going to sing playback for someone? Rachel was relieved that Giselle became female lead of Vocal Adrenaline and that Jesse knew how her voice sounded. She for sure wouldn't have sung playback for _her_.

Shelby threw her hands up in frustration. "You should have known that it would lead to this. He was recruited as your male lead after all…"

"But you offered him Nick too! How did you even get that idea? It could have worked so well… " Rachel shook her head defeated. "Ever since Dani showed up I got to see other parts of him. And he's different with Luke too. I was getting closer to him and now that! When did you even want to post the cast list? I couldn't have pulled out our little farce any longer and you know that! You just should have told me… Now everything's ruined."

Shelby looked at her daughter with a sense of guilt. But she knew what she had done and there wasn't any option to change that. She neither wanted to lose Rachel as Fanny nor Jesse as Nick. And she especially didn't want to lose her leads. The day Shelby and April were able to convince Jesse to take the part- and they had just been able to convince him weeks after Rachel's audition- Shelby had known that Rachel couldn't continue with her act. Shelby felt a sense of guilt but she didn't regret it. It had been the right and only right thing to do.

"Maybe we could-" Shelby tried.

"No!"

"And—"

"NO!"

Shelby nodded defeated. She knew there wasn't any way to change the situation. And if she was honest with herself all she felt was relief.  
She didn't need to bear Giselle's mood swings anymore and her work would be so much easier with Rachel at Jesse's side. Their voices were made for singing with each other. Even in the last weeks it had been difficult to choose songs that were fitting both Giselle's and Jesse's voice.  
And she didn't even want to talk about their chemistry on stage. They were working good together but that was it. Ever since Rachel went to the cinema with all of them- and she still had no clue how that could have happened- Giselle wasn't at her best anymore. She didn't know if something had happened and she didn't want to know. And Giselle's best could just be compared with a bad day of Rachel. A really bad one. _Well…_  
And then all of the arrangements they had to make. It hadn't been easy to put a whole school to silence. Every student knew who Rachel was and sometimes Shelby heard people asking about her and why she wasn't lead anymore. Especially the freshman. They had been the biggest security gap. A vulnerability that could have destroyed all of their work with one thoughtless word. Shelby didn't even remember how they had managed that. But it had worked. More than five weeks.

"When do you want to do it?" Rachel asked.

"At the end of the week?" Shelby suggested.

"Ok. Then we have enough time left to explain ourselves…" Rachel titled her head. "Although… Now that I think of it longer maybe we shouldn't tell him the truth… I could switch school and compete with you at Nationals…"

Shelby folded her arms giving Rachel a look that read _Seriously?_

"Fine," Rachel replied sulking. "Friday."

Rachel was about to head to her room again to wallow in self-pity when Shelby stopped her.

"Do you want to tell me what happened with Brody?"

Rachel flinched.

Their conversation the evening before had turned out to be… loud.

"_I need to tell you something," Rachel said._

_She was walking up and down her room while Brody was sitting quietly on her bed. "Me too," he admitted._

"_Let me go first," she said. "There's something I have tried to tell you for weeks now. It isn't as bad as someone could assume but I wanted to tell you the truth before some other people would…" _use it against me any longer.

"_Are you pregnant?" Brody asked. "Because I feel pretty confident that we didn't-"_

"_Oh God NO! Really?"_

_Brody shrugged his shoulder._

"_No," Rachel repeated. "It is about something else."_

_Brody could see that she felt slightly uncomfortable. He got up and placed his hands on Rachel's shoulders._

"_Whatever it is. You can just tell me."_

_Rachel nodded. This was the boy she fell in love with. He would go through thick and thin with her. Always._

"_It's about Jesse and me."_

_Brody's hands dropped off her shoulders._

"_I knew it!" he shouted. "I knew there was something going on between you two! I should have admitted it to myself the day at the cinema! I mean, what possible reason could you have to sit next to him but not your own boyfriend?! I was so stupid to think that you wouldn't fall for him because you had me! How long was this already going on between you two? Day one?! Back then I tried not to interpret more into it but he succeeded with his strategy, right? Sitting next to you in all of your classes, joining you at every possible situation and making friends with Dani? I mean, it's pretty obvious to me that he is interested in you, don't you think? And you were cheating—" he tried to continue but was disturbed by the sound of Rachel's slap on his face. Brody touched his cheek._

"_First off all: I would have never imagined you to assert that I am cheating on you. That you are even assuming it is an insult," Rachel said with tears in her eyes._

"_But you're right. We were sitting next to each other when we were watching X-Men. I was sitting next to Giselle too if you are able to recall correctly. And you want to know the reason for it? Because I tried to tell you for weeks now… The truth is: I had a crush on Jesse and I'm not going to deny that."_

_Brody laughed dryly. _

"_I had a crush on him two years ago when I saw him performing at Regionals."_

_Brody's head snapped around. He was looking at Rachel not wanting to believe what she was telling him. Not wanting to believe that she was telling the truth after he just asserted that she was cheating on him._

"_I don't know how," Rachel continued, "but Giselle got to know about it and dared to tell you about it. I didn't know how to react because I wanted to tell you myself… She had been setting up that seating arrangement. She didn't want Jesse to know that she had a crush on him herself and it was the perfect opportunity to put pressure on me… I'm sorry that it ended like this. I just wanted to tell you that I had a crush on him two years ago. We weren't even together then and I didn't know him. That was all."_

_Rachel looked at Brody demanding an answer._

_He looked hurt. Not because of what Rachel had told him but because of how he had reacted._

"_I'm moving," he blurted._

Rachel shook off the rest of her memories. She didn't want to be reminded of what had happened after that.

"Don't let him get the worst out of you," Shelby advised.

"No," Rachel replied and with that she disappeared into her room, a small tear rolling down her cheek.

_How theatricality._

* * *

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and  
One, two, three, four, five, six, and seven eight  
And claw, claw, oh clap clap and five six - ah, ah,

Okay okay okay, enough.  
You guys aren't getting it.  
You are letting the costumes do all the work.  
Theatricality isn't about crazy outfits…"

Rachel was sitting in her seat watching Shelby explaining the really meaning of _theatricality. _Rachel agreed with everything.

She had avoided Brody this morning when she got to school and she disappeared though the doors as soon as Shelby gave them a break.

She could see herself in the window wearing a crème colored cardigan, a matching blouse with light blue stripes that had the same color as her knee highs, a white skirt and the ballerina shoes that she had used to hate so much. She had gotten used to them. She was holding a pink folder in her hand and Rachel smiled sadly at her reflection. She hadn't appreciated that girl for a long time.

Rachel noticed a movement in the window and turned around. Jesse was leaning against a wall wearing the red Lady Gaga outfit, looking at her with curiosity.

It wondered Rachel that he hadn't said anything by now.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked softly.

Rachel was taken aback. She had expected anything from him but that he sounded… caring, was new to her.  
She blamed Dani and Luke for that. Rachel knew that Jesse was spending some time with Dani and Luke was his best friend. It had just taken some time to show her a softer side.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing to worry about."

Jesse nodded. He was about to leave again when he turned around again.

"If you want to talk about it…"

Rachel nodded. Jesse disappeared into the auditorium again and Rachel allowed herself to smile.

* * *

"I need to show you something" Luke said after school. He had gotten the information that Coach Corcoran was going to sing in the auditorium and he knew that Jesse had wanted to see what she was capable off. It was the perfect opportunity.

He dragged Jesse to the auditorium not leaving him any time to protest.

_God, he's gotten stronger_, he thought.

He turned towards him. _"I think this is going to explain a lot of things" Giselle had said. _Jesse nodded.

Jesse turned around entering the auditorium.

**I wanna hold 'em**  
**Like they do in Texas plays**  
**Fold 'em, let 'em hit me**  
**Raise it, baby, stay with me**

**Love, the game, intuition**  
**Play the cards with spades to start**  
**And after he's been hooked**  
**I'll play the one that's on his heart**

**Oh, oh oh, oh, oh, oh oh, oh**  
**I'll get him hot and show him what I've got**  
**Oh, oh oh, oh, oh, oh oh,oh**  
**I'll get him hot and show him what I've got**

He didn't see a single thing until he heard a voice-

_**Can't read my, can't read my**_  
_**No, he can't read my poker face**_  
**She's got to love nobody**

_**Can't read my, can't read my**_  
_**No, he can't read my poker face**_  
**She's got to love nobody**

**P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face**  
**P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face**

-two voices singing together. Coach Corcoran, he thought. But Jesse couldn't quite place the other voice. It sounded beautiful and somehow familiar. _Dani_, he thought.

_**I wanna roll with him**_  
_**A hard pair we will be**_  
_**A little gamblin'**_  
_**Is fun when you're with me**_

_**Russian roulette is not the same**_  
_**Without a gun**_  
_**And baby, when it's love**_  
_**If it ain't rough it isn't fun**_

**Oh, oh oh, oh, oh, oh oh, oh**  
**I'll get him hot****, **_**show him what I've got**_

_**Can't read my**_**, can't read my**  
**No, he can't read my poker face**  
**She's got to love nobody**

**Can't read my, can't read my**  
**No, he can't read my poker face**  
**She's got to love nobody**

He didn't know why he hadn't heard her singing at Carmel after her duet with Giselle. It didn't make sense. But the way the girl on stage moved was so different. He realized that it wasn't Dani he had heard singing at the Funny Girl audition. He realized he hadn't heard Dani singing at Sectionals two years ago. But who was this girl? He should have had heard of her by now, shouldn't he? Especially if it belonged to another Vocal Adrenaline member. He had heard nothing like that before.

_**I won't tell you that **_**I love you**_**, kiss or **_**hug you**  
_**'Cause I'm **_**bluffin' **_**with my **_**muffin**  
_**I'm not**_** lyin'****, **_**I'm just **_**stunnin'**  
**With my love glue gunnin'**

She was playing with the lyrics, flirting with them sounding incredible sexy and mesmerizing.  
He needed to know her.

**Just like a chick in the casino**  
**Take your bank before I pay you out**  
_**I promise this, I promise this**_  
_**Check this hand 'cause I am marvelous**_

So he went closer to the stage not yet being able to see the girl's face. If he could just see her.

He didn't understand this. Why wasn't she on Vocal Adrenaline? Why wasn't she being part of his Team? She was a hell of a singer. Why was she singing with Shelby? Has she just been recruited? A girl that could compete with his talent?

_**I'm marvelous,**_** I'm marvelous**  
**I'm marvelous, so marvelous**  
**She's got to love nobody**

He allowed himself to smile. She was special and he knew it. He knew it right from the beginning. Right from the start where the first note had escaped her lips.  
He moved closer and closer to the stage hoping that the girl would turn around to reveal herself.  
Was she going to become lead- his female lead? When would they sing together?  
He was thrilled.

**Can't read my, can't read my**  
**No, he can't read my poker face**  
**She's got to love nobody**

The song came to an end and Shelby and this mysterious girl hugged shortly and laughed.  
She had such a beautiful laugh. Her red dress swung when she turned around and his smile froze.

He really didn't see that one coming.  
He turned around wanting an explanation but Luke looked as surprised as himself. "Well this definitely isn't Dani."

Of all people he hadn't expected her to be... special. _Not more than she already was at least._

She was that annoying little girl and yet, just a moment ago, he had been so attracted to her... voice. To her voice.

And in the next moment everything dawned on him. Everything that had happened until then.

Him meeting Quinn at the first day of school. Quinn picking Rachel up after school sometimes. Quinn had told Jesse that her father was marrying Shelby. Rachel's mother. They were sisters. Damn, he had been so stupid. Quinn had told him that they were meeting sooner or later. That they had similar interests. They had the same schedule for crying out loud. She was taking acting classes. Had an absolute pitch.

Her attending all rehearsals without doing anything but watching.

Everyone trying to catch a glimpse at her reactions during the rehearsals- and even auditions back then.

The other VA had always been careful around her and they didn't even bother to say something bad about her but Giselle.

And Giselle. She had left rude comments about her but he didn't think too much of it. But she was her freaking competition. Compared to Rachel Giselle was just an understudy.

And Rachel had known this all along. He didn't understand why he had even believed her when she had said she wasn't singing.

He had always been kind of impressed of her maturity, that she didn't even let Giselle bother her, that she had always stayed so calm, that she always had this kind of smile on her face. Even when he had tried to provoke her.

And just in this moment he understood everything.

She had been observing him.

She could rival his talent.

She put up an incredible act and he been absolutely clueless. He shook his head. How could he even have thought she was Dani?

The moment before at rehearsals... When Jesse had followed her out of the auditorium...

And again he was fascinated of the girl who he had clashed horns with again and again and who had never even slipped out of character for a second.

Even when they just had seemed to make progress...

She was him. And he just started to realize that.

Jesse grinned. Now it was his time to put a poker face on. And hell was about to break loose.

* * *

_Songs:  
**Lady Gaga**_** "Pokerface"**

****Rachel - _Shelby - _Both****

* * *

**It's 04:00 am here and I am soooo incredible tired, you have no idea.  
I just wanted to continue _today_** **because it's a birthday triple...**  
**I really like my birthday...**

**Don't expect any more soon. I will finally be able to read Kerstin Gier's second _Silver _book and I will do it.  
I have waited long enough for it.**

**Now, if you excuse me. I have to get up _early tom-day. Good night._**

**June 28** (_27_)**, 2014**


	13. Days Of Future Past

**HALBFINALE! Ich liebe Deutschland!  
I'm so proud of our team. Neuer! And Hummels again :)**

_Ein Hoch auf das, was vor uns liegt  
Dass es das Beste für uns gibt  
Ein Hoch auf das, was uns vereint  
Auf diese Zeit (Auf diese Zeit)  
Ein Hoch auf uns (uns)  
Auf dieses Leben  
Auf den Moment  
Der immer bleibt  
Ein Hoch auf uns (uns)  
Auf jetzt und ewig  
Auf einen Tag  
Unendlichkeit_

_\- Andreas Bourani "_Auf Uns"

* * *

**Well, since I've already mentioned the movie... I couldn't resist.  
I thought we should get a little more into detail about what happened before _Pokerfaces.  
_And know we will see how much of an impact the past will really have on the future in this one here... ;)  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any character or the name of the chapter that belongs to a certain X-Men movie...**

* * *

_Days Of Future Past_

Jesse was sitting in his seat in the auditorium watching Rachel with careful eyes. She was on stage trying to correct some of their teammates vocals and she was gesticulating wildly like it could help to improve their singing.  
He was watching her movements and he realized that he really understood what she wanted to express with her body language. Yet he also realized in the same moment that his teammates didn't.  
He squinted his eyes trying to understand why it was so difficult for them to follow her instructions where she couldn't have made them any easier to explain.

"So what do you plan to do about it?"

Jesse's head snapped around and he noticed that Luke's attention was drawn to the stage too... To Rachel too.

He wanted to tell Luke about his brilliant plan to expose her play but instead he admitted: "I don't know."

He really wanted to tell his best friend that he had it all figured out the moment they saw Rachel singing with her _mother- _and it was still such a weird feeling to think about it like that- but the truth was that he had no idea what he could do about it.  
The truth was that there wasn't anything he could do about it that would make her feel like he had felt. _Betrayed_.  
Not because Rachel didn't tell him the truth- he admitted that she wouldn't have done it without any ulterior motive (because she always had an ulterior motive)- but because he had been betrayed by anyone else too.  
Nobody had even dared to tell him the truth. _Talk about Rachel's status..._  
He knew that it had certainly taken a lot of work for them to conceal the fact that Rachel was the rightful lead of Vocal Adrenaline. _Well, female at least..._  
She had always had a special duty within the team and he knew that they wouldn't have been able to work that well together without her. She was there to assure that everyone was doing their best, that the team was working- performing at the best level possible.

But when he was watching her there on the stage he couldn't acknowledge her work.

"You know what bothers me most?" he asked Luke. "That I have no idea what's going on inside of her head. When I heard her singing I was actually excited to sing with her...How could I have known that-" he said pointing towards Rachel with a loss for words. Jesse realized he was gesticulating the same way Rachel had been doing it a moment ago on stage and he put his hands down abruptly.

How could he be able to explain what he had felt when he heard her singing and what he had felt when he had realized Rachel had been playing a game. Especially a game that he didn't understand. If he was honest with himself he wanted to see the b*tch suffer. This stupid, little, annoying and incredible talented b*tch. _See? He knew how to insult her._

Luke could only nod. He agreed with his best friend that what she had done was… not being able to put into words. He had worked with her daily since he had transferred to Carmel and he wouldn't have thought that she was so unpredictable.

_Rachel laughed. "So you're transferring to Carmel too? And I thought there would be something like a time limit for registration…," she muttered._

_Luke shrugged his shoulders. "Seems like children like me get a special treatment." He smiled brightly. _  
_"And furthermore I'm here for a reason. I'm not _just _doing this for fun. It's a bonus… fortunately."_

_Rachel nodded. "Yeah, I bet."_

_Rehearsals had just started and when Luke went to Coach Corcoran with a transfer paper Rachel knew things where about to get more interesting…_

"_Are you going to audition?"_

_Luke snorted and Rachel's head turned around. "What?" she asked._

"_Do you really think I'm going to audition if he-" Luke pointed to Jesse," is male lead? I don't think so. And since it's unlikely for me to get any solo when he's still able to perform, there isn't any reason to do it either. I'm not the background type."_

_Rachel raised a brow. "Then you're still here because…?"_

_His mouth twitched. "Let's just say we're going to work a lot more together…"_

And they did. He hadn't been joining Vocal Adrenaline as a singer but as someone that was searching for new talents.  
This had been the decisive argument for his father at least.

Luke hadn't got a perfect- pardon, _absolute_ pitch but he had proofed to have an extraordinary sense for recognizing talent when he saw it.

"_So he's joining Vocal Adrenaline as what? A talent scout?" Katie asked._

_Rachel shrugged. She couldn't explain it anyway else._

"_But… do you know what that means?"_

_Rachel looked at Katie with raised brows. _She wasn't stupid. _She waved the question off but Katie beamed._

"_That's an amazing opportunity for us…," she started but she was cut off by Rachel._

"_Forget it. I talked about it with him and he said he wasn't going to let everyone, well, sing for him. He said he would be able to recognize talent when he would see it and he has something that makes even me believe it."_

_Katie nodded. She was trying to hide her disappointment but Rachel could read it in her eyes._

"_I know that you've waited for an opportunity like that…" Rachel squeezed Katie's hand. "And he would have to be blind not to recognize it in you."_

_Katie smiled._

Danger Fruit. It was the first album that he had produced completely on his own.  
It wasn't as successful as his father had wanted but Luke knew experts called it a cult phenomenon.  
And he was proud of that.

Luke hadn't only transferred to Carmel to look out for new talents but because his father sent him to produce the school musical too.  
Back then he hadn't been informed about the cast list and it still wasn't posted. Now he knew better.  
He knew that Jesse was casted as Nick and as for Fanny…

_Jesse turned around wanting an explanation after this little performance of his coach and… _Rachel,_ but Luke looked as surprised as himself._

"_Well, this definitely isn't Dani," Luke stated._

"_I see that," he gritted though his teeth._

_Jesse was still staring at the two, they unknown to his present and he blinked. _

_He still couldn't believe it. He was still waiting to wake up but there was nothing…_

"_Pinch me," he demanded._

_Luke shrugged. He pinched his friend in his arm and Jesse cursed. Jesse knew there were more things to add to his list…_

_When he had looked at her clothes and he had smirked and she had just glared back. How she didn't even seem to falter under his look._

_He should have known that she was different._

_She had been too stubborn and too strong and too confident in those animal sweaters of hers when they had been fighting and- Jesse could continue that list for hours. And they had only met a few week ago._

_How could he have been so wrong about her?_

"_You know what that means, right?" Luke asked. "If it wasn't Dani you heard singing at the Funny Girl audition…"_

_Jesse's eyes widened. He hadn't thought about that at all. But Luke was right. If Dani wasn't going to be Fanny…_

"_Rachel is going to play Fanny." _

_Jesse clicked his tongue. _Great.

"_And you hadn't got a clue?"_

_Jesse shook his head. "Rachel and Dani were talking about Funny Girl just a few days ago. When I told them that I was going to play Nick Dani was suddenly laughing…" Jesse laughed dryly. "Makes perfect sense now."_

_Luke looked at his friend with a worried look._

"_Maybe I can influence them into taking the role from her? Since I'm producing the show, I mean."_

_Jesse snorted. "No__..__. You just heard her singing… There couldn't be a better option."_

Luke had got to know more about Rachel in the time he was sitting next to her at rehearsals. And they had talked a lot.  
It had surprised Luke that she hadn't turned out to be the _kind of girl_ Jesse had talked about earlier…

And they had made friends during this.

Luke had learned that Rachel had a sister and that she was living with her single mother.

He had learned that Rachel was just as much into Broadway as Jesse, and he had just realized at her _Pokerface _performance that he could have- that he should have had figured it out way before.

Rachel liked cats. She was dressing like a child but she was mature enough to not let it bother her when she heard other people talking about it. _Which made perfect sense, too._ They were talking about it because this was Rachel Berry… Two Nationals title winning Rachel Berry.

Luke had met Rachel's sister…

"_No. Forget it. I don't even know how to do it…"_

_Luke was looking at Rachel with a curious expression. _My sister, _she mouthed._

"_No," Rachel repeated._

_Luke saw her listening to her sister and Rachel always tried to interrupt her but she didn't seem to get a chance. _  
_Luke wondered what kind of a sister Rachel had to have that even she wasn't able to argue._

_When she hung up Rachel smiled sweetly at Luke._

_He raised a brow._

"_Do you like bowling?" she asked._

After he had accepted the offer things had turned out to get slightly uncomfortable….

"_You go bowling? With Rachel?!" Jesse repeated. _

"_And her sister…" Luke added. "And I'm sure we won't be the only one. Katie? Brody? Dani, maybe?"_

_Jesse paced through the room. _

_Luke wanted to say something when Jesse suddenly stopped._

_He turned around with a sly smile on his lips. _

"_She sure wouldn't mind one more person, right?"_

_Luke laughed. _

_He looked at Jesse with an amused expression but when he saw Jesse's serious expression he swallowed._

"_The more the merrier…?"_

Luke should have known it better when he realized Jesse wasn't acting like he knew that Quinn was Rachel's sister.

When Rachel had introduced Quinn and him Jesse hadn't even being paying attention to them. Okay, maybe he hadn't been standing close enough to them. And somehow Luke had just assumed that he knew about it and he hadn't mentioned it anymore after that night.

Luke put his head in his hands. He could be blamed for this too.

He had known so much more than Jesse and he still hadn't told him anything.

He smiled weakly. Rachel had even been able to bring him into her little game without him knowing. He just hoped there wouldn't be any consequences for him.

He knew how Jesse could be…

"_I really can't remember that I invited you," Rachel spat._

_Jesse shrugged. "Well good that Luke and Dani are my friends too then. You don't mind, right?"_

_Luke was avoiding Rachel's gaze and Dani laughed. "Sure."_

_Rachel shot her a dirty look but she just raised a brow and grinned._

"_Fine…"_

_Luke had disappeared to the restroom and Quinn and Katie were getting them some drinks when it was Rachel's turn to bowl._

"_Just try it," Dani said._

"_Forget it!" Brody wasn't there although he had promised and he had wanted to show her._

_Jesse laughed. "Really? You have never bowled before? This is so… cute. It's really unlike you, actually."_

_Rachel glared at him and Jesse noticed Dani was giving him a similar look too._

_Jesse coughed and then he got up from his seat and offered Rachel his hand. _

"_What?" _

"_I'm showing you how it's done. Since the others aren't here you aren't going to embarrass yourself any more than, well…" He pointed to their little scenario, "…this."_

_Rachel rolled her eyes but nodded._

_She got up and stopped in front of Jesse._

"_What's in it for you?" she hissed._

"_Well, I know that all of my friends know how to bowl and that there aren't going to embarrass _me."

"_But we aren't friends."_

_Jesse titled his head. "Then tell me what we are, Berry. Because I think," he said pointing to their small distance, "that we are pretty close."_

_Rachel punched him on the arm._

Now Luke was watching Jesse as he was returning to the stage and he decided that it wasn't his worry to think about what would happen if Jesse decided to confront her.

This wasn't his problem.

It was a problem Rachel had to fix.

Rachel returned to her seat next to Luke and the rehearsal continued.

Luke didn't even dare to say one word. He was on Jesse's side. _Somehow_.

He saw that Giselle was shooting him and Rachel a dirty look that she ignored.

Giselle had been the one who had told him about Rachel and Shelby's little performance and he knew from Rachel that she had a little crush on Jesse.

She sure wondered why nothing had happened because of it.

Giselle had noticed Jesse's glances going in Rachel's directions during their lessons. She had noticed his growing _affection_ for her, if you could call it that. How he started to admire her strength.

She had started to hate it so much. And she had decided that she wanted it to come to an end.

She knew that it had been the perfect opportunity for her when her coach was singing with Rachel.

But now Giselle wondered why nothing had changed by now. Maybe, she just realized, maybe nothing would change and that she had made everything worse.

Coach Corcoran was clapping her hands annoyed. Nobody had really been paying attention.

"Could everyone please look at Jesse? Jesse give us a show face."

He hesitated. He thought about it a moment longer and then he answered "No."

"No?" Coach Corcoran repeated.

"No."

"Jesse, I don't know what's gone to your head but could you _please_ show them your show face? They will never learn it if they don't know how it's done best. And _yours_ is the best."

Jesse started at his coach and laughed. "I don't think so."

"What?" Shelby asked.

His head turned around and he stared at Rachel. She looked at him questioningly. _God, was she clueless…_  
Luke was shaking his head trying to change his mind. _That was not the right situation._ He didn't.

"Maybe we should ask your daughter to do that. She has been putting one on for so long now, don't you think?"

The other Vocal Adrenaline members gasped. They turned to him, some finding it certainly difficult to swallow, some putting a hand over their mouth, nobody daring to say a word.

Jesse didn't react. He was just staring at Rachel with a challenging look.

Her eyes were widening for a moment but then she was getting up from her seat and nodded. A small smile was starting to form on her lips.

She returned his look with the same force.

"Took you long enough."

They never broke eye contact.

* * *

**Too confusing?  
I really thought about using break lines but since this is one single scene...  
I needed to use some flashbacks to explain the, well, progress in their relationship.  
It may seem minimal but... who knows ;D  
**

Please review!

* * *

**USA? Happy Independence Day!**

**Nanni? Happy birthday again!**

**July 4, 2014**


	14. Hell

_Finale!_

Please bear with me but DAMN,  
Germany just moved to the final!

I'm so incredible proud and I feel  
like this is our Italy 2006.

_Müller 11'  
Klose 23'_  
_Kroos 24'_  
_Kroos 26'_  
_Khedira 29'_  
_Schürrle 69'_  
_Schürrle 79'_

* * *

**Brazilian Fans:** What the fuck...

**German fans:** What the fuck...?

**Everyone:** What the fuck...?!

* * *

_I still can't believe it by the way.  
I remember sitting in front of my TV like :**O**_

* * *

I hope to get something done til Sunday so you can excuse my childish behavior :]

**BRAGER** **08.07.2014**

* * *

Woah. 4,251 words. Just as promised...

* * *

_Hell_

Silence.

Silence was all that could be heard when Rachel and Jesse were still staring at each other nobody daring to move an inch.

The other Vocal Adrenaline members were looking at each other unsure of what to do. They were communicating in silence and nodded when they decided to get the hell out of this situation. They just started slowly trying to steal away from the stage on tip toes when Coach Corcoran's voice let them freeze.

"Nobody's going anywhere until I say so."

Coach Corcoran was shooting her students dangerous looks and they went back to their places intimidated.

Jesse and Rachel, too distracted into their mutual gazing, didn't notice the events in their surroundings until Shelby clapped into her hands and they turned their heads around.

"As fascinating as this little encounter is... We've got some work to do. Sectionals are up in a few weeks. I don't want my lead performers to rip each other's throats out." She shook her head. "Very bad timing," she muttered under her breath.

Giselle let out a shriek. Jesse looked at her slowly understanding what his coach just implied. Rachel was going to become female lead. _Again. _Jesse snorted and started laughing.

"You can't be serious! You can't let me work together with Giselle the whole time and then expect that your _daughter_ replaces her ," he spat.

Both Giselle and Rachel looked at Jesse surprised. Giselle because she didn't expect Jesse to take her side and Rachel because she, well yeah, hadn't really expected it either but then again… she somehow had. Just not exactly like this. He was acting… pushy.

Coach Corcoran let out a small laugh.

"_I _can do everything I want. This is _my_ team. I'm the coach, not you Jesse."

Jesse was shaking his head not believing his ears.

"But _I _am female lead. I won this audition fair and square," Giselle pointed out.

"It's not like you had anyone to compete against…" Shelby said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jesse asked getting frustrated.

"Rachel didn't audition," Brody answered.

The heads of her students were looking back and forth.

"What?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "I had laryngitis…"

Brody scoffed. "Sure…," he muttered under his breath. Jesse shot him an asking look and he just raised a brow. Jesse laughed. Rachel was lying.

"Of course! Why should I even have expected that you were going to tell the truth now!"

Rachel stood with her hands on her hips. "Excuse me?!"

"You didn't even audition!" Jesse shouted.

"Bu- What?" Rachel asked confused. _How did he know?_

Jesse pointed towards Brody who just shrugged his shoulders. Rachel clenched her jaw shooting her boyfriend a dirty look.

"You didn't even audition?" Giselle shouted angry. "Why the hell didn't you even audition?!"

"Because I don't need to compete against you, Giselle!" Rachel replied throwing her hands in the air. "I will always be better than you!"

Giselle's eyes widened at Rachel's outburst. She had never seen Rachel explode like that.

The other Vocal Adrenaline members took a step back.

Jesse looked at his coach questioningly. "Why the hell didn't_ Rachel_ audition?!" He repeated. Saying her name felt suddenly so wrong. He wanted to bite his tongue.

Shelby's nerves were all on edge. This wasn't a question about her team management anymore. This had developed into so much more. Shelby didn't know where to start…

She had recruited Jesse because she wanted a better male lead for Rachel. That meant taking the lead from Brody. Brody and Rachel had been fighting. Brody was mad and clarified that Rachel hadn't been auditioning to become female lead in first place anyway. Giselle had auditioned. She became female lead as replacement for Rachel. Rachel hadn't wanted to sing with anyone but Brody. Brody hadn't been good enough. Jesse had needed to sing with Giselle as long as Rachel didn't want to change her mind. She had needed to get to know him better to change her mind. They didn't seem to have gotten to know each other enough… Giselle was female lead. Nobody else auditioned. She was Jesse's partner. Rachel's replacement…

Shelby knitted her brows. Rachel _would_ always be better than Giselle._ Why did this question even came up?_ Shelby's mouth opened ready to answer but not a single syllable escaped. She looked at her students at a loss for words suddenly unable to cope with the situation.

"And you auditioned for Funny Girl!" Giselle shouted suddenly realizing why the cast list hadn't been posted yet. She turned to Jesse whispering :"You're Nick?" He nodded.

"That's why the cast list hadn't been posted… Rachel got Fanny!"

Shelby nodded. Luke was shooting his friend a worried look. Jesse laughed dryly.

"Is there anyone who hadn't been lying?" He asked. He glanced to Luke knowing that he could rely on his friend but to his surprise Luke looked away.

"You knew too?" His voice sounded hurt and Luke wanted to explain that he didn't know about Rachel's farce until they had seen it together, he wanted to explain what he had figured out but Jesse shook his head his face looked neutral again. _That much about show faces, _he thought_._

"She wanted to get to know you better before!" Katie suddenly blurted.

All heads turned to the tiny brunette.

"Rachel's boyfriend was going to be replaced by you, Jesse! You have to understand that she-" Katie said taking a deep breath, "-that she wanted to get to know you better! She wanted to see what kind of person you are, what kind of person she was going to sing- was going to share _her_ stage with. You were her boyfriend's replacement! What kind of reaction would you expect?"

Jesse shook his head slowly. He turned his head to watch Rachel's reaction but she avoided his look. Rachel didn't say anything.

"And Luke didn't know anything about it either." Katie turned from Luke to Jesse, an apologetically look on her face. "He transferred to Carmel long after you did. He didn't know anything."

"And what the hell has that to do with me?" Giselle shrieked. "I am female lead!"

The rest of Vocal Adrenaline was close to leaving the stage but Katie's intervention awakened Shelby.

"Do. Not. Move," Coach Corcoran repeated.

They froze at their places and Shelby nodded.

"Okay. Rachel…" She turned around addressing Luke.  
"I think it would be best if you accompany Rachel to my bureau and keep her company until Jesse and I arrive."

Jesse wanted to protest but Shelby cut him off. She turned around pointing a finger to her team.

"And about you: We will repeat this performance as long as it takes… We can't let this slide." She clapped her hands. "Okay, everyone back to their positions."

Luke got up from his seat and squeezed Rachel's shoulder comforting as they made their way to the aisle.

The music began playing and Jesse turned around on stage singing.

**Livin' easy, lovin' free, season ticket, on a one way ride**

**Goin' down, party time, my friends are gonna be there too**

**I'm on the highway to hell **_**I'm on the highway**_

**Highway to hell **_**I'm on a highway to hell**_

**I'm on the Highway to hell **_**I'm on it I'm on it**_

**Highway to hell**

**Don't stop me oooh yeah**

Luke and Rachel just reached the door when Rachel turned around.

"Stop please, dear god just stop. Seriously, guys It's like watching beige paint dry.

Could everyone please look at Jesse? Jesse, give us a show face."

For a small second Rachel's gaze me Jesse's. Then he smiled brightly and Rachel disappeared in the hallway.

"THAT'S a show face, guys. You want to look so talented it's literally hurting you.

I want a look that's so optimistic it could cure cancer."

The team smiled brightly.

"That's what I'm talking about. Take five everybody, drink a Red Bull."

Jesse rolled his eyes and left the stage.

* * *

"So how is it going with you and that model?" Rachel asked.

Luke stopped walking shooting his friend a weak smile. "Rachel…"

"What?" she replied, stopping a few meters later.

Luke ran a hand through his hair making Rachel groan. She started walking again, Luke following.

"Could you please stop doing this," she said pointing to his hair.

Luke blinked. "Huh?"

"What's it with that Danny Zuko move? I swear, if you are going to start with that too, I need to kill you and Jes—" Rachel stopped in front of Shelby's bureau, the doorknob in her hand. A second passed. Two. The moment Rachel turned around again all Luke can see is a broadly smile. He didn't say anything.

Rachel opened the door holding it open for Luke. He passed by answering "We're done."

Rachel entered the room catching a glimpse of her reflection. Neither her red and white checkered sweater, her red skirt nor her white tights caught her attention. All she could see was that small smile that Luke was able to place on her face when she closed the door behind.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Coach Corcoran decided to finish their morning rehearsal. She sent Katie and Jesse to her bureau telling them (_Katie) _that she needed to grab a few things first.

They were on their way to the bureau when Katie decided she couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"Jesse…" she started but he just started walking faster.

"Jesse," Katie repeated louder and when he suddenly turned around she got frightened. He was mad. Beyond mad.

He just shot her a dangerous look telling her that he doesn't want to talk. She could tell that she is happy that she got such a mild reaction.

They continued walking. Katie sensed the tension in the air and she suddenly knew that she didn't want to be part of the upcoming… discussion.

They reached the room. Jesse had a hand on the doorknob when he stopped. He turned around . "Thanks," he said and Katie's eyes widened for a second. She hadn't expected that.

Jesse took a deep breath and opened the door.

And Katie was glad she didn't have to be part of it.

* * *

Katie stood in front of Shelby's bureau for a few more minutes when her coach arrived. She was walking fast and when she spotted Katie she smiled small.

"Have they already killed each other?" Shelby asked.

Katie shook her head. "Luke's still in there."

Shelby nodded. She looked like she was about to cancel but then she entered the room with a look of determination.

Katie heard mumbling and the door opened a few seconds later.

Luke stepped into the hallway. His eyes were widened and both his face and body language were tense. He didn't want to be part of it either.

Nobody said anything but when the screaming behind the door begun Katie asked: "Want to grab a coffee before classes start?"

Luke nodded and they got away from the bureau as fast as they could.

* * *

"So what made Jesse think that you knew about everything?" Katie asked placing a coffee in front of Jesse's best friend.

Luke shrugged. "I guess he misinterpreted my reaction when he asked if there was anyone who hadn't been lying."

Katie knitted her brows and sat down. "You have been avoiding his look," Katie stated.

Luke raised a brow. "You paid attention?" He smirked. "I feel flattered."

Katie rolled her eyes. "Well, since you were the only one in the room who hadn't been informed about all of this…"

Luke took a sip from his coffee and nodded. "If you see it like that…"

Katie laughed. "So tell me, mister. What did you know before all of this-," she said pointing in the other direction, "-happened?"

"Long story," he replied.

She took a look on her watch and raised a brow. "We've still got half an hour."

He shook his head and smiled.

* * *

"You don't really expect me to perform with her now, right?"

"You knew I never wanted him as my male lead!"

"Oh really? Because your little boyfriend is that much of a _good_ singer... It's a wonder you were even able to win Nationals!"

"Twice! We won Nationals twice!"

Jesse threw up his hands defensively. "Well, then it's a wonder you won Nationals _twice _with him as male lead," he spat.

Rachel pointed with her finger at him. "Don't you dare bring Brody into this! You have no idea!"

"Well, I know that he really didn't back you up out there just a few moments ago!"

"You are such an asshole!" Rachel shouted. "And I hate you! You ruin everything!"

BAM!

Shelby banged her fist on the table and the teenagers jumped.

"STOP IT! I will not talk this out with you if you can't act like adults!"

Rachel folded her arms across her chest and sat down.

Jesse watched her, his mouth open. _How dare she make _him _look like a child now._

He scoffed. Shelby shot him a stressed look and he sat down.

"Good," Shelby said putting her head in her hands. "That's a beginning."

* * *

"You know, I should at least ask you out on a date before I tell you everything. Jesse is probably going to kill me for it…"

"And that would be such a shame," Katie replied. He shot her a dirty look and she giggled. "Just kidding," she said with a wink.

Luke laughed. "Okay," he answered and breathed out. "During rehearsals Rachel and I had been talking a lot. She told me about her interest on Broadway. I knew that she was taking acting classes because Jesse had told me long before I came to this school. Rachel had told me she was living with her single mother and that she had a sister, Quinn. You remember the time we went bowling together?"

Katie nodded.

"Back then I thought Jesse knew about that. He already knew Quinn and I somehow assumed that he knew they were sister. I didn't bring it up again. I already had a weird feeling about all of this because of Rachel's position in the team etc. but I didn't question it. I knew Quinn had a closer relationship to Ms. Corcoran but even I didn't think that she was her daughter. I was blind. I knew that Quinn was Rachel's sister and that's enough reason for me to blame myself for not talking to Jesse about it. I've been stupid. That's why I have been avoiding Jesse's question earlier. I had so much more information than him and I didn't talk with him. I'm his best friend." Luke shook his head disappointed with himself. "And I didn't talk with him."

* * *

"So. Are we able to talk about this like adults now?" Shelby raised a brow.

Rachel nodded. Jesse wanted to say something but he decided that it would be best if he didn't bring up an argument again. He also nodded.

"Ok. Since you brought the subject up… What do you want to know, Jesse?"

"Why didn't Rachel audition?" Jesse asked again. It was the first question that he had asked and it was the first one that he wanted to be answered. He had wondered why Rachel hadn't been part of the team the moment he knew it was her singing _Pokerface _with his coach and he demanded an answer.

Rachel scoffed. "Weren't you listening when Katie explained it? I'm pretty sure you were there too." She shot him a questioningly look." _In the auditorium? Twenty minutes ago?" _

Shelby groaned. "Rachel!"

"What?!" Rachel shrugged. "It's the truth…"

Jesse sneered. "Really? Because you wanted to get to know me better? You can't be serious about this one."

Rachel mocked his expression. "Well, if you won't believe me…" She started playing with a strand of her hair. "Not my problem."

Jesse was watching her with a despising look. _How could he even have thought that she was the mature one here? _

* * *

"And when we saw her singing with Coach Corcoran… We both knew that she was the one Jesse saw singing at the Funny Girl audition."

"Wait, wait, wait," Katie said. "He saw her singing at the audition? Then why didn't he already say something before? The audition was good three weeks ago."

Luke clicked his tongue. "Yeah, about that… Jesse hadn't been close enough to get a better view. But when he had met Dani… She had been wearing similar clothes to the ones Rachel was wearing on stage."

Katie groaned. "Really?"

Luke nodded. "And it's not like they don't look similar… They are cousins, after all"

Katie shook her head. This couldn't be… That was way too bizarre.

"I already told you: big misunderstanding…"

* * *

"But there's one thing that I don't understand. I can somehow understand that she wanted to get to know her new male lead better. Especially with her little boyfriend problem…"

Rachel shot him a dangerous look.

"But why did you bring Giselle into this? I get it that you needed a replacement until we-" he said pointing to Rachel and him "-had gotten used to each other but… What the hell have you been thinking?"

_Great question._

Shelby shrugged. "What should I have done? Rachel didn't want to lose her boyfriend and I couldn't just… There wasn't any other option. Did you think I wanted to lose Rachel as my female lead?"

Jesse turned to Rachel.

"You are pretty stubborn," he stated.

She looked at him with a surprised look. "You are just getting that now?"

* * *

"He had called me that day Rachel and Giselle had performed that duet together but he didn't know it was Rachel. We had a conversation about it later and Jesse was so thrilled to work with Dani."

Katie knew that Jesse mistook Dani for Rachel but there had to be another reason for him to be the way Luke explained She needed to hear more. She leaned forward looking into Luke eyes, a curious expression on her face.

"You have to promise me, that you won't tell anybody."

Katie crossed her fingers showing Luke that she would keep the secret. "I promise."

Luke took a deep breath.

"Jesse had heard Rachel singing before. Even then he thought it was Dani…" Luke leaned a bit forward, whispering: "Two years ago Jesse St. James fell for a girl he heard singing _Don't Rain On My Parade _at a Sectionals performance…"

Katie's mouth dropped open.

* * *

"This isn't a question about who is going to be female lead again, Jesse," Shelby said. "It had been Rachel's spot since day one."

Jesse nodded understandingly. "I know. But you can't expect me to start working with her immediately. There was a reason you gave Giselle the spot. Even if it was just as replacement. But there was too much effort we put into this to get back to your actual plan for this…"

Rachel stood up abruptly. "Seriously? You would rather sing with her than to let me take _my_ position again?"

* * *

Then she burst out laughing.

Luke was watching Katie's outburst with a confused look.

"Katie?"

She held her stomach trying to calm down. She couldn't.

"Katie?" Luke repeated.

Katie put a hand in front of her mouth stopping another laugh to escape from her lips.

"Jesse and Rachel?" Katie tried hard to stay calm. "You can't be serious. This would mean…" She started laughing again.

"What?" Luke asked alarmed.

"He had a crush on her?"

Luke nodded slowly.

"But that would mean that… The Bohemian Rhapsody boy had a crush on Rachel. That's just fantastic…"

Luke looked at Katie questioningly.

"Because Rachel had a crush on Jesse too, two years ago. I thought Jesse told you…"

Luke choked on his coffee. _So he hadn't been the only one who had kept a few things…_

* * *

"What's wrong with you? I thought you heard me singing?" Rachel shouted.

"Rachel," Shelby warned.

Jesse shrugged. "It's not like I had been sitting in the first row. I can't make a decision on that. You will have to sing again." He grinned.

Rachel glared at him.

"And then I get my lead again?"

Jesse nodded. "If you're good enough. .." _How dare he, _Rachel thought. "Giselle has the right to audition again too. But eventually-" he said with a look to his coach "-it's my decision to make who I want as female lead."

* * *

The school bell had rung and they were sitting in class again.

The rumor of what had happened had already spread and everyone was trying to catch glimpses of Rachel and Jesse. They wanted to know more.

The other Vocal Adrenaline members were clever enough not to mention it again but for the rest…

Rachel and Jesse were sitting silent on their tables both ignoring each other.

It had been a hell of a morning.

When they were paired up to work together in one of their next classes Jesse finally decided it was time to talk to Rachel again. _He would be mature about this…_

"When did you thought you should tell me about your little plan?" He asked. _Talk about mature._

Rachel groaned. She looked up from her sheet only to notice that most of her classmates were trying to eavesdrop. She raised a brow at them and they turned around again.

"We wanted to tell you," she whispered. "I talked about it with Shelby after I got to know that you were casted as Nick Arnstein. Obviously we couldn't have kept that act up longer then anymore… Not with me as Fanny at least."

Jesse shook his head as if he didn't believe her. His whole face read _Really?_

"Yeah, really," Rachel answered and Jesse looked surprised that she was able to read him so well. "We had decided to tell you tomorrow. So much about that…"

"And how did you imagine that to work out? '_Jesse, we need to tell you that we lied to you since you transferred here and that Giselle isn't the truthful lead. That's Rachel. Sorry for lying?!'"_

"Well…" Rachel stumbled. _They hadn't exactly spoken about it._

"Yeah, of course," Jesse stated and turned around.

Rachel saw read. She raised her hand and addressed her teacher, Mr. Eschmann. He wasn't the strictest teacher. _And not really the smartest one._

"Yes, Rachel?"

"I need to tell Mr. St. James something and I hope you don't mind a little performance."

Her teacher just shrugged. His students weren't really working either so…

Rachel climbed up her chair looking at her classmates.

"Feel free to join me," she said and with that she looked at Jesse again. He rolled his eyes.

She pressed a button on her mobile phone and an acoustic version filled the room.

She started singing.

**I wake up every evening**  
**With a big smile on my face**  
**And it never feels out of place.**

Rachel smiled sweetly at Jesse.

**When you see my face **  
**hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell**

**Now where's your picket fence love?**  
**And where's that shiny car?**  
**Did it ever get you far?**  
**You never seem so tense, love**  
**I never seen you fall so hard**  
**Do you know where you are?**

She shot Jesse a challenging look.

**And truth be told I miss you**  
**And truth be told I'm lying**

_Of course. She hadn't been doing anything else, _Jesse thought.

**When you see my face**  
**Hope it gives you hell, Hope it gives you hell**  
**When you walk my way**  
**Hope it gives you hell, Hope it gives you hell**  
**If you find a man that's worth the damn and treats you well**  
_**Treats you well **_her classmates sung  
**Then he's a fool you're just as well hope it gives you hell**

_Giving him hell? She for sure was a little bit too optimistic…_

**Now you'll never see**  
**What you've done to me**  
**You can take back your memories**  
**They're no good to me**  
**And here's all your lies**  
**You can look me in the eyes**  
**With the sad, sad look**  
**That you wear so well**

Jesse placed a hand over his heart. _That hurt, _he mouthed sarcastic.

**When you see my face**  
**Hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell**  
**When you walk my way**  
**Hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell**  
**If you find a man that's worth the damn and treats you well**  
_**Treats you well**_  
**Then he's a fool you're just as well hope it gives you hell**

Rachel was moving to the beat on her chair clapping in rhythm

**When you see my face**  
**Hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell**  
_**Hope it gives you hell**_  
**When you walk my way**  
**Hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell**  
_**Hope it gives you hell**_  
**When you hear this song and you sing along well you'll never tell**  
_**You'll never tell**_  
**Then you're the fool I've just as well I hope it gives you hell**  
_**Gives you hell**_  
**When you hear this song I hope that it will give you hell**  
_**Give you hell**_  
**You can sing along I hope that he will treat you well**

She sat down again smiling at him.

The rest of the class applauded but Jesse only shook his head.

* * *

_Songs:  
**AC/DC**_**"Highway To Hell"  
**_**The All American Rejects **_**"Gives You Hell"**

* * *

**A/N: Mr. Eschmann is my old Dutch teacher, Mr. Anschlag (ch. 8) my Psychology teacher.**

* * *

**The first few reviewers that I can PM back will get to know the name of the next chapter :D**

**I waited so long for it. It's gonna be epic ;]**

**Guest reviewers can leave an e-mail adress in an extra review so that I don't have to remove the whole review :DOr your facebook/twitter/tumblr profile ;) That's actually the better option...  
**

_What I am doing for a few reviews... -.-_

* * *

**Enjoy the _Finale_ :D  
**

**July 13, 2014.**


	15. Me Against The Music

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

GERMANY WON!

**54* 74* 90* 2014***

I can't believe it...

I literally started crying when Götze shot the goal.  
After I screamed my lungs out...

Congrats, Germany, congrats! :D

**#WorldCupChampion2014**

I will never forget that.

Thank you!

**13\. Juli 2014**

* * *

**FOR ALL OF THE GREAT St Berry FICS THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED AND UPDATED!  
I ENJOY READING ALL OF THEM! THANKS :D**

* * *

**A/N: **_This _definitely isn't the epic one I was talking about. _This _was actually supposed to be the beginning of it. It actually still is... just separately.  
I decided to split the chapter because I don't have that much time for writing anymore as in the last two months...[working from 8:30am-5pm :(] but I really wanted to update and I thought it would be better to update more often with shorter chapters. The last one took literally two days to finish and since I have an own life to live too (read and watch TV) it's easier for me to continue like that :D

Anyway...

* * *

**Disclaimer:** *disclaims everything that is to disclaim*

* * *

_Me Against The Music_

Rachel was walking to the auditorium still mad about Jesse's reaction after her 'Hell' performance the hour before.  
They hadn't talked to each other after that and although Rachel felt like exploding and giving Jesse a huge piece of her mind she made her way to the Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal like nothing had happened. Walking fast and taking big steps excluded.

She had left Katie and Brody behind and Luke wasn't in the mood to get in-between Rachel and Jesse. Rachel still didn't want to talk with Brody after what had happened and for the rest... The school day couldn't have been any more exhausting.  
Rachel just wanted to get over with the rehearsal and sleep in her bed. She just wanted to get home.

Her footsteps got louder while she was walking around the next corner and she was relieved that they (_Jesse and her_) would be able to finally deal with their little situation. Giselle included.

Rachel reached the auditorium first, only her mother already sitting in her seat.  
When she heard Rachel entering the auditorium she turned around. Rachel exhaled deeply and looked at Shelby with an encouraging look. _They would get over with this today_, she thought.  
But when Rachel's eyes met Shelby's Rachel noticed a hesitating look. Rachel made her way to her coach, walking down the aisle and stopping in the row before.

She looked at Shelby and raised a brow in annoyance.

Shelby groaned.

"Jesse isn't attending the rehearsal," she said.

Rachel's eyes widened.

"He has some business to attend. That's what he said at least..."

Rachel squinted her eyes while Shelby continued to explain. Rachel didn't say anything.

She just listened when she noticed other VA members entering the auditorium. She saw Katie shooting her a questioningly look when she took her seat and Brody. When their eyes met Brody looked away.  
Giselle was entering the auditorium with a smirk on her face, probably looking for Jesse and the disappointment that covered her features when she wasn't able to spot him.

Shelby finished her explanation and Rachel turned her attention to her coach again her teeth clenched.  
She looked like she was fooled and then her voice let out a hysterically laugh and all heads turned around. "He is where?!"

* * *

Jesse was standing next to the door of the auditorium watching the rehearsal with a sense of interest. It was interesting to see a rehearsal that he wasn't part of and he was able to figure out every flaw in a second.

_Fourteen._

He counted fourteen members of the rival show choir (not flaws because, well, they were honestly some more), seven boys and seven girls that like he noticed couldn't have been any more different.

In Vocal Adrenaline the students formed something like a unity, everyone wearing similar or the same clothes, behaving on the standards of a social ladder.

Jesse knew that his teammates couldn't have been any different either but this team…

They literally atomized their individuality.

They were chatting and loudly laughing with each other and Jesse couldn't help himself from being fascinated by them.

He was just trying to study them detailed when a voice cut his thoughts.

"What are you doing here Jesse?"

Jesse cringed.

He turned around only to recognize the angelic face of his new female lead's sister.  
If _she gets the part, _he silently added.

Jesse smirked.

"I could also ask what your sister is doing at Carmel..." Quinn looked surprised. "But let's keep it that way."

Quinn clicked her tongue. "So she finally told you?"

Jesse laughed dryly. "I wouldn't exactly call it like that."

Quinn raised a brow.

"I heard her singing."

Quinn coughed.

Jesse nodded. "Yeah. I would say the same."

Quinn took two steps, ending next to Jesse watching her teammates from the door of the auditorium. Jesse turned around joining her.

Nobody said something for the next four minutes.

They were watching two girls getting ready on stage and Jesse was interested to see what they were going to perform. What they were capable of.

The dark haired girl reminded Jesse of Giselle. Only that this girl definitely knew how to use her sex-appeal… right. She was wearing red lipstick and her sleek hair was loosely falling down her shoulders, the contrast of her darker skin-color and her clothes building a great contrast. She was basically wearing a suit. White trousers, a white blazer with a white top beneath that revealed her toned stomach when she moved and white heels. She played a walking cane, her hands in white gloves.

Quinn broke the silence.

"What are you going to do about it?"

Jesse's head turned around. Now it was his time to look surprised.

Quinn grinned. "Please. As if I didn't knew you enough to know that you definitely are going to do something about it…"

Jesse chuckled.

"And you seem to prefer watching other team rehearsals than attending your own…"

Jesse titled his head, one corner of his mouth twitching.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "You're unbelievable," she muttered.

The other girl on stage seemed to be the complete opposite. Not only was she wearing black fingerless gloves, black trousers and heels, a white top beneath a black one and a turquoise collar with a black tie but she didn't seem as elegant as her teammate, the strands of her messy blond hair pinned up loosely and hiding under a black hat. She was playing with the suspenders on her top and smiled with a goofy expression on her face. The Latina laughed.

The other students were getting to their seats slowly getting quiet and giving their attention to the girls on stage.

Jesse frowned. "Where's your coach?" He asked.

Quinn gave him a little cough.

"He sure wouldn't want to see that…"

Jesse raised a brow but the music already started playing.

**All my people in the crowd**  
**Grab a partner, take it down**

_8 flaws._

**It's me against the music**  
**Uh huh, it's just me and me, yeah, c'mon**  
**Hey Britney?**  
**Are you ready? Uh huh, are you?**

"Britney?" Jesse looked at Quinn with an amused expression. "Really?"

**And no one cares**  
**It's whippin' my hair, it's pullin' my waist**  
**To hell with stares**  
**The sweat is drippin' all over my face**

Quinn shrugged. She pointed to the blonde and added "She _is _Brittany Spierce."  
Jesse's face read confusion. After a moment he shook it off and returned to watch the performance.

**And no one's there**  
**I'm the only one dancin' up in this place**  
**Tonight I'm here**  
**Feel the beat of the drum, gotta get with that bass**

The Blonde threw her head aside and started to dance.

**I'm up against the speaker, tryin' to take on the music**  
**It's like a competition, me against the beat**  
**I wanna get in the zone, I wanna get in the zone**

Other dancers were joining her and as Jesse was about to ask about them Quinn simply said "Cheerios."

**If you really wanna battle, saddle up and get your rhythm**  
**Tryin' to hit it, you could die**  
**In a minute I'm a take a you on, I'ma take a you on**

**Hey, hey, hey**

Jesse was impressed that she could move so fast without skipping a single beat.  
_5 flaws._

**All my people on the floor**  
**Let me see you dance, let me see ya**  
**All my people wantin' more**  
**Let me see you dance, I wanna see ya**

She was a better dancer than half of his team.

**All my people, 'round and 'round**  
**Let me see you dance, let me see ya**  
**All my people in the crowd**  
**Let me see you dance, I wanna see ya**

The Latina was on the other side of the stage, separated with her partner through a room divider.  
She was seductively playing on a swing that clamped to the ceiling.

**Get on the floor, baby lose control**  
**Just work your body and let it go**  
**If you wanna party, just grab somebody**  
**Hey Britney, we can dance all night long**

_3 flaws._

**Hey Britney, you say you wanna lose control**  
**Come over here, I got somethin' to show ya**  
**Sexy lady, I'd rather see you bare your soul**  
**If you think you're so hot, better show me what you got**

She stood up and moved to the other side, the other Cheerios joining her as she started to dance around her walking cane.

**All my people in the crowd**  
**Let me see you dance**  
**C'mon Britney, lose control**  
**Watch you take it down**

She let herself fall to the ground, tossing about the stage that was covered with dry leafs.

**Get on the floor, baby lose control**  
**Just work your body and let it go**  
**If you wanna party, just grab somebody**  
**Hey Britney, we can dance all night long**

Some of the Cheerios moved the room divider aside and the two girls started dancing together perfectly complementing their partner's movements. The rest of the Cheerios performed perfectly in sync in the background. _2 flaws._

**All my people on the floor**  
**Let me see you dance, let me see ya**  
**All my people wantin' more**  
**Let me see you dance, I wanna see ya**

Jesse smirked. He was watching the two and realized what important fact he had been missing. His eyes drifted to the Latina and he couldn't help himself to chuckle. _1 flaw._

**All my people in the crowd, let me see you dance**

He knew now that it had been the right decision to skip rehearsals (_and a few (most) really unimportant classes_) and drive nearly three hours to Lima to- what had he actually wanted to do anyway?- visit Quinn and her team.

**C'mon Britney, lose control, watch you take it down**

He allowed himself to smile. A real smile.

He couldn't really recall his ulterior intention for driving here but he surely wouldn't have thought that he could solve all his problems with Rachel and Giselle and the whole Vocal Adrenaline female lead discussion, by entering the rival show choir's school ground and watching these two girls perform on stage.

The other members of _New Directions_ rose to their feet applauding and the girls took a bow together.

* * *

_Songs:  
**Britney Spears**_**"Me Against The Music"**

* * *

**Just a tiny question since I started working again and I desperately want to study:  
****How is it working at your sides of the world after you graduate?**

**It doesn't seem like I get a university place anytime soon because my grades don't seem to have been good enough...  
2,8 and that although I got bullied in school, my mom had cancer and I certainly got to know I have a social phobia too.  
**_I already had that feeling when we were talking about it in Psychology...  
_

**So: what are you doing after you have graduated?  
Is it any easier to get a spot to study at your place at the world?**

**August 3, 2014.**


	16. Ringleader

**Nanni. Tobi. David.**

pic.

twitter.

com/pjUO3rskt5

* * *

_Ringleader_

Rachel was nervously pacing through the hallway in front of the auditorium. She was biting the nail of her thump lost in thought. She stopped abruptly. _What was she doing here?_

Did it really bother her that Jesse left without a word to take a visit at her sister's school? _A little. _  
Did it really bother her that Jesse left although they needed to clear that little… misunderstanding concerning the question who was going to be female lead _today_? _A little more. _

But Rachel could deal with that. This wasn't what was bothering her most.  
What she really couldn't bear with was that he let her alone with _her_. Giselle.

Rachel wanted to punch something.

The moment Shelby was done with explaining Rachel that Jesse held it for more important to take an three hour ride to Lima to visit Quinn- and Rachel still didn't understand what she had missed here- she definitely needed to talk with Quinn about this- Giselle let out stupid remarks like "Well, seems like _my_ male lead doesn't want to sing with you…" and "Well, I wouldn't want to sing with her either after I had sung with myself…"

Since Jesse didn't show up for the rehearsals Shelby hadn't really known what she could come up with to _entertain_ her team. And the moment everybody started to threw pitiful side glances at her because of Giselle's remarks Rachel decided to get out of the auditorium.

She had thrown up her hands in defense and told her coach "I'm out."

Maybe it hadn't been her smartest decision.

But Rachel had acted on an impulse.

Sometimes it was better to flight.

This had been one situation.

Rachel let herself slid down on the nearest wall. She was sitting on the floor of the hallway that wasn't as clean as it could be expected out of a five feet distance.

She pulled her head to her knees.

"Rachel?" A girl's voice asked.

Rachel looked up. Katie was standing behind the opened door with a look of sympathy. It disappeared the second Rachel raised a brow at her and both girls started laughing.

In situations like this Rachel was thankful for a friend like her. Katie appreciated her boundaries and she held her distance when Rachel needed some space.

But hiding behind a door? _That was exaggerated._

Rachel slid a bit aside. She tapped the floor with her hand and Katie planted herself next to her.

Rachel let out a deep breath.

"What did I miss?" She asked with a nod to the auditorium.

Katie shrugged. "Your mom was pissed. Now all of the juniors and seniors have to sprint from one side of the stage to the other."

She let out a small smile. "Good that the stage is so wide though. I don't want to imagine what it would look like if it wasn't…"

Rachel exploded in laughter.

"It actually has good point," Katie added laughing. "Both juniors and seniors are on your side now," she said with a wink.

Rachel's laughter died down abruptly. "Wait." She raised her hands and started gesturing. "Does that mean that some of the others were actually on Giselle's side?"

Katie shrugged her shoulders.

"What the—These traitors…" she murmured.

Katie laughed.

"And the others?" Rachel asked.

"Huh?"

"Freshman? Sophomores?"

"Ahhh." Katie nodded understandingly. " Well, they only have to jog up one aisle, though the seats of the last row, down the aisle and through row number one." Katie grinned. "So not _that _bad…" she added with a shrug.

Rachel could only shake her head.

"She really loves you, you know?"

"Huh?"

Katie rolled her eyes.

"Shelby…"

Rachel curled her lips.

"She wouldn't have done that if it wasn't for you…"

Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well… Maybe she would have done it nonetheless because Giselle really has earned herself this punishment in the past few weeks. But you know she wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for you too…"

Rachel stayed silent.

"Forget it… This really isn't something I should—"

"Did Shelby sent you?" Rachel asked.

Katie bit her lip.

"No."

Rachel's head turned around.

"Brody wanted to talk with you."

* * *

Brody stood at the opposite wall, his hands buried deep in his pockets.  
He was looking at his shoes unsure of how to start.

Rachel was good two years younger than him but that didn't stop him from being unsure of how to approach her. Not because he thought she wasn't mature enough (because sometimes it really seemed like she was the mature one in their relationship_\- if they could still call it so_)but Rachel's self-confidence scared him from time to time.  
This time not being any exception.

He was still quarrelling with himself when he dared to take a look at her. She was staring at him.

"What do you want to talk about?" Rachel asked.

Her tone wasn't exactly what he would call cold but it was close.

He returned her look with a mild force and smiled lazy.

"You left," he replied.

Rachel leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes.

"You left before I had any chance to explain myself," he continued his voice getting louder. "You could have at least returned the decency to hear me out after you told me about your little crush on _Jesse_," he spat.

"_I'm moving," he blurted._

Rachel opened her eyes and laughed dryly.

"Yeah, sure. Because you were the one who bluntly told me he was moving after he accused me I was cheating on him. Yep, totally my fault."

Rachel got up, brushing off the dirt that came to her clothes from sitting on the floor.

She raised a brow at Brody.

"I—" He wanted to apologize but he struggled for words. He didn't meant to tell Rachel that he was moving in the middle of a fight but now he couldn't take it back.

"Exactly." Rachel nodded. "I think we're done talking then."

She was just about to return to the auditorium when Brody grabbed her arm.

"I really didn't mean to tell you like this," he started. "But after you told me about that crush I suddenly lost it. I couldn't keep thinking straight and then…" He shrugged his shoulders. "You know I was never really fond of this kid."

Rachel's lip twitched. She hadn't pegged Brody for the jealous type.

"And he isn't even able to remember my name. I mean, is he doing that on purpose?"

Rachel turned around and gave him a smile.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," she answered.

Brody laughed. He looked her deep in the eyes.

"Will you give me the chance to clarify everything? I don't want to separate from you like this."

Rachel nodded and took a step closer to hug him shortly. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss her boyfriend.

"Well. Then let us find a quiet place Brian…"she said with a slight grin on her face.

He chuckled, put an arm around her shoulders and they started walking down the hallway.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Rachel asked.

Brody shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know… I guess I was just too afraid of your reaction."

Rachel grabbed his hand.

They were sitting close to a window in the empty cafeteria. The sun was slightly falling though it, the clouds slowly moving on and the light shining on their intertwined fingers.

"I admit, that your worry could have been appropriate. Most definitely. But I would have understood. I understand it now. And it doesn't change a thing."

Brody raised a brow. "Really? Because I think 470 miles are something. Especially for a relationship."

Rachel sighed. "They are. But we had been prepared for this before too. When you auditioned at NYADA? It isn't like we haven't talked about it before."

"Yeah, but last time we only talked about one year. Now we're at two."

Rachel shrugged. "Same difference."

Brody smiled slightly.

"And it isn't something we aren't capable of. I know we can do it."

Brody nodded. "Okay."

"Okay." Rachel cleared her throat. "And since we have already cleared that subject: are they really all jogging though the auditorium?"

Brody nodded. "You are better than her," he suddenly added.

Rachel blinked. "What?"

"Giselle. She isn't the rightful lead even if she likes to say so. She isn't. You are. And she isn't able to take that away from you. Jesse would be stupid."

**There's only two types of people in the world: **  
**The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe **  
**Well, baby, I'm a put on-a-show kind of girl **  
**Don't like the back seat, gotta be first**

Rachel smiled.

"She really thinks so, ain't she?"

Brody shrugged and Rachel shook her head when an idea plopped into her mind.

"She's delusional," both teenager agreed.

**I'm like the ringleader, I call the shots **  
_**Call the shots**_  
**I'm like a firecracker I make it hot **  
**When I put on a show**

Rachel sighed. "It's just that I have no idea what Jesse wants me to do… And I know that he isn't really a fan of Giselle either. They do sound good together but Jesse made it clear that he isn't interested in her like that…"

Brody raised a brow at Rachel.

"I may or I may have not have eavesdropped on a conversation between them when we went to see X-Men… unintentionally of course"

"What?"

"Shebasicallythrewherselfathimandhe_gently_rejectedher."

Brody laughed. "So that's why she's pissed all the time." He nodded. "Makes perfect sense that you are even intimidating her more than before, though."

Rachel looked confused. It wasn't just that Brody understood her babbling but- "Huh?"

"Not only will you take lead again but you will be closer to Jesse too and since he has a thing for you…"

Rachel blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Katie didn't tell you? Well as much as I got to know the famous Jesse St. James was crushing on you a while ago… And the way he's looking at you isn't really denying it either…"

…

"What?"

Rachel was staring at her boyfriend her mouth dropped open.

"It's the truth…"

Rachel suddenly got up, her chair toppling down.  
She squinted her eyes together.  
A moment passed.  
A smile started to form on her face and she answered.

"Of course."

Brody titled his head.

"Really?"

Rachel nodded. "Sureee… Pfft. "

"Okaay?"

Rachel clapped in her hands.

"Well… Since we've cleared everything… I think we should head back to the auditorium to give Giselle a real impression of what a lead should be capable of," she said with a smirk.

Brody was still staring at Rachel unsure of what had happened. Did she actually hear him? He doubted it.

"Now should we?" Rachel asked.

Brody shook his thoughts off and nodded. "Sure…"

**I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins**

Rachel was walking fast back the way they've come and Brody had his problem to keep up with her.

**Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break **

_Damn, was she fast._ He was just starting to fall into a slow jogging when she suddenly stopped and he run into her.

She held one finger in the air. "Just give me four minutes…"

**I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage **

She grinned. "And could you and Katie do me a favor?"

Rachel disappeared into the classroom of the drama group and smiled when she found what she was searching for.

**Better be ready, hope that you feel the same**

"If _your _male lead is really too stupid to not wanting to sing with me after he had _you _as his female lead I really can't help him."

**All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus **  
**When I crack that whip everybody gon' trip just like a circus **  
**Don't stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do **  
**Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor just like a circus**

"But, and as much I hate to admit it, neither you nor me are going to do anything about his decision."

**There's only two types of guys out there **  
**Ones that can hang with me and ones that are scared **

"I am confident enough to say that I'm going to win that little upcoming competition with you."

**So, baby, I hope that you came prepared **  
**I run a tight ship so beware**

"And I'm actually pretty excited about it. Because this one time you are getting to know your place and you won't be able to do anything about it."

Rachel was standing on stage, her blouse tucked into her skirt and her hair tied together tight, clearly directing everything she was saying directly to Giselle. It was her declaration of war.

The girl was looking at her with clenched teeth, like she was about to snap but she remained silent.

"But if Jesse's choosing you as his female lead then I will completely back down."

The other team members gasped.

**I'm like the ring leader, I call the shots **  
_**Call the shots**_  
**I'm like a firecracker I make it hot **  
**When I put on a show**

"This team will be yours if he decides that I'm not the better choice."

**I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins **  
**Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break **  
**I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage **  
**Better be ready, hope that you feel the same**

Giselle smirked. "Are you really that convinced of yourself?

**All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus **  
**When I crack that whip everybody gon' trip just like a circus **  
**Don't stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do **  
**Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor just like a circus**

Rachel shrugged.  
"I will tell you what I told Brody just a few minutes ago: I have really no idea what Jesse is going to come up with… But I was the rightful lead for two years and you won't be able to take that away from me. Neither my soli nor our victories as team at Nationals."

**Let's go **  
**Let me see what you can do **  
**I'm runnin' this like-like-like a circus **  
**Yeah, like a what? Like-like-like a circus **

Giselle nodded. "Well… If that's enough for you…"

**All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus **  
**When I crack that whip everybody gon' trip just like a circus **

Rachel smiled lazy. "If it has to be…"

**Don't stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do **  
**Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor just like a circus **

"But I'm fair enough to give you an honest chance."

**All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus **  
**When I crack that whip everybody gon' trip just like a circus **

"You haven't seen me performing since our little duet at the Funny Girl audition and I want to remind you of the reason I was said lead for two years."

**Don't stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do **

Giselle snorted.

**Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor just like a circus**

And the lights went off.

The other VA members started to murmur with each other. Giselle rolled her eyes.

_Of course did she need to make such a show of it…_

One single spotlight turned on.

Katie and some other students were standing on the stage with grins on their faces.

The spotlight turned off again.

A smaller one lightened up the front of the stage.

There were black knee-lengths boots. A pair of black tights.

The spotlight slowly moved upwards.

A black high waist slip and a white top that were not covered enough with the long black coat that reached the knee pits of the person in front of the stage and looked like it belonged to a lion tamer.

A showy silver necklace.

Brown hair was falling down her shoulders in waves.

She was hiding her face behind a black hat and the music started playing.

The spotlight grew bigger and revealed the whole girl.

She was slowly moving the hat away

and Rachel Berry smiled.

* * *

_Songs:  
**Britney Spears**_**"Circus"**

* * *

**Part _two_ of the epic one _beginning_. One more to go and Act One will be finished.**

**August 16, 2014.**

_PS: This wasn't planned. It just came to me after listening to _Circus. _Sry. The chapter was actually part of the real epic chapter but then I decided to split it. Again. [I suck.]  
PPS: This basically was my Britney tribute. Basically._


	17. The Power Of Madonna

I wanted to update today again because it's someone's birthday and I love this boy even after ten years. He's an idiot.

* * *

**Happy birthday Hansen.  
**

**August 17, 2014.**

* * *

I actually wanted to watch Pitch Perfect today and read after that. Guess that won't work anymore...

Here's the final of the epic one that I split because it would definitely have gotten too long. [It really isn't that epic anymore... *laughs nervously*]

The longest one yet. **4,456.**

* * *

Watch the performance on youtube. You will know which one I mean once you get there.  
**Madonna - ****_Others -_ All together**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I. Own. Nothing. But. The. Plot.**

* * *

_The Power of Madonna_

"Madonna?" Quinn asked in a monotone voice.

"Madonna?" A high voice squealed from behind.

Jesse and Quinn turned around only to come face to face with a wide grinning boy. He was wearing tight jeans, a sweater that looked like it belonged to a girl, boots that Jesse couldn't even define by anything else and a funny hat that looked like it belonged to Sherlock Holmes himself. Well, not exactly.

His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head when he looked back and forth between Quinn and the good looking boy he had never seen before. _Yeah, right... Like he and Rachel hadn't been obsessed with him after they had seen him at Regionals together. No. Phew._

Quinn cleared her throat.

"Kurt... what are you doing here?"

Kurt shot her a questioningly look. Quinn rolled her eyes.

"And in here I mean eavesdropping right behind us..."

Kurt waved it off.

"I was late for rehearsal. Had some people to talk to..."

Quinn nodded slowly.

"Did I miss it?" Kurt asked.

"Britney?" Jesse asked.

Kurt nodded.

"Yep," Quinn replied taking a look at her watch, "You're exactly one Minute late."

Kurt's face fell. "Damn it..."

Jesse studied the boy in front of him . He thought of resent conversations with Ra- no one in particular and identified the boy as Kurt Hummel. One clue being his first name.

He knew that his coaches daughter- and he wasn't planning to refer to her by anything else anytime soon- was friends with a gay boy named Kurt. And for his clothes... Ok. Maybe he was just really into clothes and wasn't the gay Kurt of Ms. Corcoran's daughter... Jesse squinted his eyes trying to study the boy.

"So what was that about Madonna?" Kurt squealed. "I looooove Madonna!" He said in an even higher voice. "She's my idol!" Kurt's eyes gleamed as he was waiting for an answer looking back and forth between the two.

Quinn shook her head with an amused expression crossing her face.

Gay Kurt, Jesse decided.

"The one and only in this town" Kurt answered.

Jesse's eyes widened. Had he said that out loud?

"I didn't mean-" Jesse stumbled in an attempt to apologize but Kurt waved it off again.

"Nah, don't worry. I should feel flattered that you know who I am," he said with a wink.

Jesse was staring at the boy with his mouth open. He was at a loss for words.

Quinn giggled.

That brought Jesse back to reality. He cleared his throat and stuck his hand out. "Jesse St. James."

Kurt nodded. They shook hands and introduced himself. "Kurt Hummel."

Kurt was eyeing the boy with interest and when he smiled he stated "You're Rachel's new male lead."

Quinn's eyes widened and she could see Jesse gulp. Dangerous territory...

"Not yet," Jesse replied.

Kurt raised a brow. "Pardon?"

"She needs to re-audition first..."

"What?!"

"She was never- I was never her male lead... She didn't audition."

Confusion was written all over Kurt's face when he turned around to Quinn. She shrugged. "Long story."

"Well, I'm desperate to hear," Kurt muttered under his breath.

He turned to Jesse again shaking all off his thoughts off.

"And the Madonna thing?" He asked with a glint of hope in his eyes.

"What's with Madonna?" A loud voice shouted.

They turned around facing the Latina that had just performed. She was followed by the other girl and the rest of the team.

"I already wanted to say something because you didn't pay attention to my aaa-mazing performance up there but," she said with a shrug," I heard you talking about Madonna..."

The blonde girl pouted. "You were as amazing as me Brittany" the Latina replied with a lower voice patting the girl's shoulder. Jesse scrunched his brows in confusion.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I was just about to find out, Satan. Thanks for the interruption."

Santana smirked. "No problem, Hummel."

Her eyes landed on Jesse again.

"And who were you again hot-shot?"

Kurt rolled his eyes again. He knew he was going to get crinkles for it but he couldn't help himself with teammates like this.

"Rachel's new male lead," Kurt replied.

Santana's eyes widened and she nodded approvingly. "Not bad... Really not bad..."

"She's not my-" Jesse tried again but the others started talking in chaos. _What was the male lead of Vocal Adrenaline doing at McKinley? Could he really sing as good as people said? Was he spying on them? What did that mean for New Directions?_

Jesse sighed. Maybe it hadn't been good idea to come here after all.

Quinn clapped her hands. The voices calmed down and everyone turned around. _So she was the boss here. Interesting_... Quinn sighed and turned to Jesse with a raised brow.

"I guess you still owe us that Madonna explanation."

* * *

Quinn was nervously glancing at her mobile phone. Should she warn Rachel?

She threw a glance at her clock. No. It was too late for that.

Should she have told Rachel yesterday? Quinn shook her head. No.

Her problems with Jesse weren't her matter to deal with.

Quinn smiled weak.

They should be.

Quinn threw her blanket aside and jumped out of bed.

* * *

If it hadn't been for Santana Lopez, Jesse wouldn't have come up with an idea of how to decide which girl he would choose as his female lead so soon.

When he watched her perform the Britney/Madonna duet he suddenly had the feeling that something was missing.

Not that Santana wasn't a good singer but she wasn't ready to perform a song of Madonna, the Queen of pop.

And then he suddenly knew what he had to do.

Madonna was the key to his problems.

She resembled the qualities that his female lead needed to have.

Was he a little arrogant about that? Yes.

But he needed a partner that would be able to keep up with him on stage. A girl that could sing, dance and perform with him on stage without being outshined by his glory appearance.

Jesse grinned.

It shouldn't be this difficult to get Rachel and Giselle enthusiastic about it.

* * *

Giselle was intimidated.

She had known that Rachel was real competition the day she saved Vocal Adrenaline's ass at Sectionals two years ago but her performance yesterday?

She had shown the whole team what she was capable of.

And that was actually more than Giselle had thought of. Not just the casual Rachel-Berry-Broadway-rubbish.

Giselle had used the whole night to think about a way to beat Rachel.

She hadn't come up with any.

Rachel had been right.

It didn't lay in their hands.

It was all about what Jesse was going to do.

And for once Giselle wished that he hadn't transferred to her school.

Not that it would have changed things anyway.

* * *

Rachel and Brody were standing at her locker and they were flirting with each other like nothing had happened before.

They knew that they didn't have much time left together before he transferred schools and moved to New York.

_New York. _

God, was Rachel jealous.

If Rachel hadn't dragged Brody to this karaoke-bar after his NYADA audition he wouldn't have gotten this major opportunity.

After Brody had choked at his audition Rachel had convinced him to let off steam through the only way they really knew: singing.

So Rachel had watched Brody singing on stage. And she hadn't been the only one.

Brody couldn't really recall what had happened after that because he had been in a _slight_ blur but somewhere between this night and their way back home he had been offered a position in one of New York high school show choirs.

And after what had happened with Jesse after that… He sure would have been stupid to refuse this offer.

Rachel smiled sweetly at Brody.

He leaned in smiling and was about to kiss her when a voice cut in.

"I see… You two have cleared your business."

Rachel grimaced.

The moment Jesse had spotted Rachel and Brody next to his locker- what had he done to deserve this?- his good mood suddenly disappeared.

Referring to this little scene, Rachel wasn't Madonna.

Giselle though… Nobody needed to doubt her taste.

Jesse smiled.

"If I had known that it would just take one day of my absence for you to re-kindle I would have done it earlier." He put a hand on his heart. "I swear."

Brody chuckled. "Of course," he muttered.

Rachel shot him a look and Jesse raised a brow.

Brody cleared his throat.

"So. To what do we owe this pleasure?"  
Jesse turned to Rachel and smirked.

"I made a decision about that audition theme…"

Rachel squinted her eyes together.

"After you visited Quinn at school?" She asked quizzical.

Jesse shrugged his shoulders.

"Please tell me it isn't Britney. Because I already did that yesterday…"

Jesse raised a brow.

Brody grinned.

Jesse shook his head. "No, it isn't. Although- I'm slightly interested now about what happened yesterday… "

Rachel shook her head.

"And you've come to me first to give me an advance? So you do admit that I'm the better choice." Rachel grinned. "Thank you."

"If I was going to tell you first it sure wouldn't mean an advance. It could also mean that I had told you first because you need more time for your preparation… Although that counts as advance. Just not in the way you imagined it."

Rachel glared at him.

"But no. I'm not going to tell you or Giselle anything about it until rehearsals start after school. I just wanted to inform you that I know what I am going to do about the audition… And that I am going to tell everyone later…" Jesse knitted his brows. "Which I just did…"He shook his head.

"Never mind." A silent pause developed.

And then Jesse turned around and walked away.

* * *

"When will he leave?" Katie asked in a whisper.

"Next week," Rachel answered.

Katie looked surprised. "Already?"

Rachel shrugged. "It's the reason he wanted to talk with me. We definitely needed to clear that business before…"

"Wow. I didn't think that it would be so major."

The rest of the team appeared in the auditorium and Brody took his seat next to Rachel.

Rachel threw him a side glance and only nodded.

"Okay!" Shelby clapped in her hands and addressed her students. "Since we weren't able to really rehearse yesterday we have a lot of work to do. Sectionals aren't that far away anymore and we need to come up with a performance as fast as possible."

She raised a brow at Jesse, blaming him for his absence the day before.

"Did you already decide what you are going to do about that female lead problem?"

Jesse rose from his seat.

"I have," he replied with a grin.

Everyone's attention was drawn to him.

"Since I am male lead, I need a partner that is capable of keeping up with me. She needs to keep up with my vocals, my dancing, my whole performing. She needs to act on the same level as me or otherwise this isn't going to work out."

He was looking back and forth between Rachel and Giselle and he couldn't help himself but notice their different reactions.

While Giselle looked determined to do everything he expected, Rachel's lip twitched and she seemed incredible amused by his announcement. Their eyes locked.

"Madonna," Jesse finally said without breaking eye contact. Rachel's eyes lit up. "If she isn't able to do Madonna than she isn't good enough for me."

Giselle snorted. "Good for you, Rachel." She threw a side glance at Brody. "_Like A Virgin, _right?"

Rachel ignored her and laughed at Jesse's speech. Jesse raised a brow.

"But you do know that Madonna doesn't need a male lead, right? Because the one of us that is going to win your little competition doesn't really need you, ain't she? You would need to convince the victor that she needs you…"

Jesse shook his head smirking.

Giselle rolled her eyes. "Are you stupid or blind, Rachel? Vocal Adrenaline needs Jesse. There's not a single doubt."

Rachel turned around. "Yeah, because we- because _I_ wasn't already able to win Nationals without him, right? Like I couldn't pull that off alone again. But this isn't something I could talk about with you…"

Brody chuckled.

Giselle's face turned red. "That's beside the point..."

Rachel nodded. "Of course," she murmured.

Katie giggled.

"When?" Rachel asked.

"Sunday," Jesse answered.

Rachel smirked. She was beyond excited for his challenge.  
His eyes drifted to Giselle. A panicked look crossed her features which disappeared the moment he laid eyes on her. At least she was pretty decent enough to hide her shock.

_Interesting, _Jesse thought. They had two days to prepare and while Rachel reacted like she had all time in the world the two days didn't seem enough at all for Giselle.

Jesse grinned.

"And because I'm male lead and this is about a team performance in the end you two will need to work together with someone you choose."

"Jesse!" Giselle blurted.

Jesse knitted his brows but nodded.

"And you?" He asked Rachel.

Rachel smirked. "Like I already said. A real Madonna doesn't need a man by her side…"

* * *

"I'm SO excited for this," Kurt said.

"Huh?" Rachel replied.

"Madonna?!" Kurt answered.

Rachel raised a brow. "How did you know?"

"How did I know? HOW DID I KNOW? Rachel, sweety, our lovely Mr. St. James invited our whole glee club to watch this competition. He only got this idea because of Santana's Madonna performance."

Rachel squinted her eyes together in confusion.

Kurt groaned.

"Do you even know anything? God, Rachel, you can be extremely clueless from time to time…"

* * *

"Okay, Giselle. What have you come up with?" Jesse asked.

Giselle grinned. Rachel was definitely not able to beat that.

Especially not with Jesse by her side.

* * *

Quinn burst into Rachel's room breathing heavenly.

Rachel was lying on her bed already accustomed to Quinn's way of entering her room and Kurt flinched.

He put his hand over his heart and slowly breathed out. "Gosh, honey, you will be the death for me one day…"

Quinn shot Kurt a wondering look and shook her head. "Sorry."

Rachel sat up. She titled her head and raised a brow at Quinn.

"When exactly did you plan on telling me about Madonna?"

Quinn's eyes widened. "I know I should have already told you yesterday but I didn't want to get in-between that thing between Jesse and you…"

Rachel glared at her.

"But," Quinn added, "once I realized that I've made a mistake I've come up with the best apology that people could have come up with in a situation like this…"

Someone knocked on the door.

Rachel got up, wandered to the door and opened it.

"Thank god," she groaned. "It was about time that you got back."

"Awww, you missed me?" Andrea Cohen teased. "Come here."

The two girls hugged.

"That makes this Madonna performance a lot easier," Rachel said with a wink to Kurt.

"And I was already warming up…"

Rachel laughed.

"Now there's only one person missing."

The doorbell rung.

"Talk about timing," Kurt murmured.

Quinn and Andrea planted their selves on Rachel's bed when Katie opened the door a few minutes later.

"So, Rachel. What are you going to do about that rude St. James boy?"

This wasn't just about Jesse.

Giselle needed to know her place.

Rachel smirked.

"I've got something on my mind."

* * *

_Sunday_

* * *

"And you're sure that I'm allowed to watch this?" Noah Puckerman asked.

Rachel gave him a light smack on his head.

"Ouch."

"You're an idiot." Rachel rolled her eyes. "If Jesse is able to invite half of Ohio's school popularity I will be able to invite one of my closest friends as well… And by the way: where did you plan to go after church?"

Puck shrugged.

"Exactly."

"I'm looking forward to meeting this dude. It'll definitely be fun to mess a little with him."

"Noah," Rachel warned.

"What? You said he was an idiot. And nobody's messing with my hot little Jewish american princess."

Rachel laughed.

* * *

"Heads or tails?" Jesse asked.

"Tails," Giselle answered.

Jesse threw the coin and it landed on the floor. Heads.

Jesse turned to Rachel. "Rachel?"

"You will go first," Rachel answered.

Giselle grabbed Jesse's arm and dragged him along.

Jesse shot Rachel a wondering look , she smiled at him and turned around.

* * *

"And?" Puck asked.

"Everything goes as planned. Fate's on my side today, I can feel it."

Rachel took her seat next to Noah and scanned the room.

It really seemed like Jesse invited half Ohio.

Not only was New Directions invited but Rachel recognized a few members of other high school show choirs as well.

Every student of Carmel came to school to watch them sing.

Rachel exhaled exited.

* * *

It reminded Rachel a little bit of her _Circus _performance.

When the curtain rose and the lights went off…

Everything was staring at the stage and waiting for the lights to turn on again.

The music started playing.

And the lights turned on.

_**Come on girl**_  
**I've been waiting for somebody**  
**To pick up my stroll  
**

_**Well don't waste time**_  
_**Give me the sign**_  
_**Tell me how you wanna roll**_

**I want somebody to speed it up for me**  
**Then take it down slow**  
**There's enough room for both**

_**Well, I can handle that**_  
_**You just gotta show me where it's at**_  
_**Are you ready to go**_  
_**Are you ready to go**_

_They looked good together, _Rachel thought.

Giselle was wearing black high heels, a matching leather jeans and a black tank top that was covered with her leather jacket.  
Jesse was matching her outfit with a dark blue jeans, a black shirt with a slightly brighter tie and an opened sports coat above. He looked handsome.

_Way too good on Giselle's side._

**If you want it**  
**You already got it**  
**If you thought it**  
**It better be what you want**

Both singer took off their jackets and threw them aside.

_They sounded good together, _Rachel admitted. But they had already sung together. It was nothing that Rachel hadn't heard before. Same with the dancing.

Rachel looked though the crowd. Everyone was clearly enjoying the performance.

The students of the other schools were looking intimated and Rachel wondered if they really didn't pay that much attention.

She didn't care.

**Time is waiting**  
_**We only got 4 minutes to save the world**_  
**No hesitating**  
**Grab a boy**  
_**Grab a girl**_

Rachel nudged Noah at the shoulder and motioned to him that she was going backstage to get ready. She gave the others a sigh and they got up as well. Noah nodded.

**Time is waiting**  
_**We only got 4 minutes to save the world**_  
**No hesitating**  
**We only got 4 minutes, 4 minutes**

They were putting on their outfits to Giselle and Jesse's singing.  
Rachel laughed quietly. They were counting down the time until she went on stage.  
It was almost bizarre.

**Keep it up, keep it up, don't be a pri, **_**hey**_  
_**Madonna, uh**_  
**You gotta get `em all, hot**  
**Tick tock tick tock tick tock**

Rachel peered through the curtain and watched their performance on stage.

_**That's right, keep it up**_**, ****keep it up, don't be a pri, **_**hey**_  
_**Madonna, uh**_

Her eyes drifted to the audience.

**You gotta get `em all hot**  
**Tick tock tick tock tick tock**

The song ended and Rachel smiled.

She was so going to win this thing.

* * *

"Is this seat taken?" Jesse asked. He scanned the room and noticed New Directions a few rows below.

Kurt. _Gay. _Mercedes. _Diva. _Tina. _Asian. _Artie. _Wheelchair. _Mike. _Male Asian. _Sam. _Trouty Mouth. _Santana. _Satan. _Brittany. _Britney._

Rory. _Irish. _Sugar. _Asperger? _Joe. _Jesus, the hair. _Matt. _Spider. _Lauren. _Big Ass Heart. _Quinn. _Rachel's sister..._

Jesse shook his head. He got to know a lot more about them than he wanted to know.

The boy with the Mohawk shook his head. "Not as long as Rachel's on stage performing."

Puck got up and hold out his hand. "Noah Puckerman, but everyone calls me Puck."

Jesse nodded and they shook hands. "Jesse St. James."

Puck sat down again and Jesse was still standing unsure of what to do.

Puck rolled his eyes. "You really can take this seat. Rachel won't be able to rip off your throat while performing, now can she?"

Jesse nodded and sat down.

"So you're the male lead?" Puck asked. "Rachel told me a lot about you."

Jesse raised his brows. "Really? Well, I can guarantee you that I'm not half as bad as she probably described me."

Puck chuckled. "She actually described you as extremely talent. And it's rare that she says that about anyone but herself."

Jesse looked surprised.

"But she did mention something along conceited and arrogant…"

Jesse nodded laughing.

"Well, that definitely sounds like the Rachel Berry I got to know…"

* * *

She was standing at the topmost stair at stage.

Everyone was looking at the girl in the white dress, a veil covering her face.

"She isn't…" Jesse started when the first chords of Madonna's _Like A Virgin _started to fill the room.

Jesse heard Giselle snorting. Like she hadn't seen that coming.

_**I made it through the wilderness **_  
_**Somehow I made it through**_

But this voice didn't belong to Rachel.

_**Didn't know how lost I was**_  
_**Until I found you**_

The girl raised the veil and Jesse recognized Rachel's sister in spe, Quinn.

_**I was beat, incomplete**_  
_**I'd been had, I was sad and blue**_  
_**But you made me feel**_  
_**Yeah, you made me feel**_  
_**Shiny and new**_  
_**Oh**_

Some bells rung and then another person wearing the same outfit attended stage from the right side.

_**Like a virgin, wooh  
**_

She lifted her veil as well and Jesse was surprised that Katie Gibbs had a powerful voice like that.

_**Touched for the very first time**_  
_**Like a virgin**_  
_**When your heart beats next to mine**_

_**Woah, woah, woah, woah.**_

_**Ah.**_

The music stopped. Quinn and Katie were both waiting at one side of the stage, a bouquet of flowers in their hands, looking at the audience with a surprised look.

Jesse frowned. "She wouldn't—" he started but then wedding bells started to ring.

Rachel Berry was slowly moving up the stage on a hydraulic lift.

She was smirking in that black suit of hers, the lips covered in red lipstick and the black hat on top of her head like it belonged there like a crown.

The music changed and she lead the microphone to her mouth.

**Everybody comes to Hollywood **

The whole audience rose to their feet applauding.

**They wanna make it in the neighbourhood **  
**They like the smell of it in Hollywood **  
**How could it hurt you when it looks so good?**

Rachel walked down the stairs in rhythm to the music and Jesse shook his head unbelieving.

Arriving on stage below, Quinn and Katie linked their arms with Rachel's and accompanied her on her way across the stage.

**Everybody comes to Hollywood **  
**They wanna make it in the neighbourhood**

Rachel bend down her head in front of Katie and kissed her hand.  
Quinn walked around her and the girls switched sides when Rachel placed her hat on her sister's head.

**They like the smell of it in Hollywood **

Rachel took off her coat, threw it aside and put her microphone into her cleavage.

**How could it hurt you when it looks so good?**

She grabbed Quinn and Katie's hand, rolled them to her and then they started dancing.

**Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody **  
**Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody**  
**Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody**  
**Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody**

**Shine your light now **  
**This time it's got to be good **

They rolled their hips seductively.

**You get it right now, oh yeah**  
**Cause you're in Hollywood, ****you're in Hollywood**

"Do tell me right now that she isn't going to do what I think," he said.

Puck laughed. "Never underestimate that girl."

**Everybody comes to Hollywood**

Rachel bend down to her knees, slowly pulling off the garter on Katie's thigh.  
She was searching for Jesse in the crowd and when their eyes locked Rachel smirked.

**They wanna make it in the neighbourhood **  
**They like the smell of it in Hollywood **

Rachel twirled the garter on her finger and threw it in Jesse's direction.

**How could it hurt you when it looks so good?**

Rachel shot Jesse another challenging look and then Quinn and her kissed.  
Puck grinned. The audience cheered when Rachel turned around a gave Katie a peck on the lips too.

The girls raised their fingers in the air and pointed to the back of the stage.

**Yo, yo, yo**  
**Who that be?**

**Andrea's back, for God's sake, we**

Andrea Cohen entered the stage in a fancy looking jogging suit and a baseball cap that she was wearing the other way around.

_**I works it and I works it**_  
_**Can I flip my thing and reverse it**_  
_**Come on, go, go head, go, go head**_

The crowd went crazy.

_**I works it and I works it**_  
_**Can I flip my thing and reverse it**_  
_**Come on, go, go head, go, go head**_  
_**Party people, we'll show you how to work that**_  
_**Where you at, Ms. Berry**_

**Trip the station **  
**Change the channel**

The girls started to dance around each other.

**Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody **  
**Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody**

Rachel and Katie danced together in sync.  
Quinn rolled her hips in front of Andrea.

**Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody**  
**Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody**

**Hollywood, Hollywood.**

**How could it hurt you when it looks so good?**

**Hollywood, Hollywood.**

**How could it hurt you when it looks so good?**

Rachel moved back to the front of the stage, the others following.

**Hollywood, Hollywood.**

**How could it hurt you when it looks so good?**

**Hollywood, Hollywood.**

**How could it hurt you when it looks so good?**

**Music stations always play the same songs **  
**We're bored with the concept of right and wrong**

The girls grabbed each other hands

_**Trip the station **_  
_**Change the channel**_

and took a bow together.

* * *

When Rachel looked up again everyone in the audience was clapping and cheering.

Rachel scanned the crowd for the only person which opinion really mattered at that moment.

Puck was cheering like mad and Rachel couldn't help herself but laugh.

"Burning Up?" Puck asked.

Jesse was standing next to him and his and Rachel's eyes met.

Rachel shot him a questioningly look.

He threw his head back laughing and clapped his hands.

* * *

_Songs:  
_**Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake _"4 Minutes"  
_****Madonna _"Like A Virgin"_  
Madonna _"Hollywood"_**  
Madonna _"Burning Up"_

* * *

**Ladies and gentlemen, ****Act _One_.**

**August 31, 2014.**


	18. The Turn

_**Happy birthday Figaro.**  
**I miss you :')**  
_

* * *

The second act is called:

**The Turn.**

The magician takes the ordinary something.  
And makes it into something… extraordinary.

* * *

**SO: The first act of the story is finished now and I want to know what you liked most.  
Favorite chapter? Favorite line(s)?  
What didn't you like at all?What could be improved?  
**

**I'm asking for honest feedback and I think that you could spend two minutes on reviewing when  
I spent half of my weekend on writing for you guys ;D**

**Thanks!**

* * *

**Chapter 17 updated...**

* * *

**September 1, 2014.**

* * *

**Guten schnellen Rutsch ins neue Jahr. Nur noch 5 Minuten...  
**

* * *

_The Turn_

When Giselle opened her eyes at Monday morning she immediately regretted her decision to set her alarm for school.

Her bell was ringing loudly and aggressively knocking on her headache. Two Aspirin, a lot of water and four hours of sleep after last night didn't seem to have been enough for making the headache disappear. Or anything else.

Giselle groaned. She remembered Rachel wearing a black tux on stage and suddenly wished she could have at least forgotten about that. Couldn't they just travel back in time and change recent events?  
She remembered Jesse slowly rising to his feet and applauding Rachel... After performing together with her.

Hadn't they been a great team?

What made him choose Rachel over her? The look he was giving her after that... Not that Giselle hadn't already noticed that he liked to give her looks like that but something had changed in that situation, Giselle felt it.

She rolled around sticking her head under her pillow.  
Maybe the last two glasses of scotch hadn't been the best idea after all.

The rest of the night was a blur.

* * *

"Oh my gosh" Quinn groaned from under her pillow. "Turn the music down."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "If you hadn't drunk anything yesterday like I told you, you wouldn't be in this state now."

And with this state Rachel referred to Quinn's unwashed and messy hair, the blurred mascara above her tired eyes and her like alcohol smelling clothes.

Rachel stepped onto her cross-trainer and started to work out.

Quinn groaned even louder.

"Gosh, what time is is?!"

Rachel took a look at the watch on her wall.

"Half past five," she answered.

"Half past five?" Quinn repeated. "You can't be serious! Admit it, you're just doing it because I didn't listen to you."

Rachel shrugged. "Partly. But I worry about you"

Quinn's head shot up and Rachel could see the regret on that decision corner of her mouth buckled, her eyes squinted together in sight of light and Quinn's hand automatically shot to her head.

"Huh?" She asked.

"School starts at nine."

Quinn blinked.  
One. Two.  
And then she got up faster than Rachel could watch.

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

Rachel smiled innocent.

"You beat Giselle. You get your lead back." Quinn rolled her eyes sniffing her shirt and scrunching her nose. "You are in an awfully good mood, right?"

Rachel beamed.

"You are..." Quinn shrugged, "so totally you."

Quinn winked.

"Glad to have the old Rachel back."

Rachel squinted her eyes together slowly nodding.

* * *

"Good morning Vietnam!" Luke shouted as he opened the curtains in Jesse's room. He went to his bed and sat down with an amused expression on his face.

"So what did I miss?"

No answer. Luke rolled his eyes.

"You can't be serious, man," Luke groaned poking into the blanket. "What happened? How did the _audition_ end? I'm dying here, come on."

Luke swung his feet onto Jesse's bed and grabbed Jesse's pillow from underneath his friend.

Luke laughed. "Hangover, huh?" Luke squinted his eyes together, his eyes wandering through the room.

It was blue. Light blue walls, a darker shade of blue curtains and bed-linen. Photographs of Jesse and his family- mostly him and his younger sister. Medals and trophies of competitions he won as a solo act or together with old school teams lined up on the dark shelves on his wall, that Luke recognized as a shade of walnut. The sun was shining though one of the windows on the other side of the room shedding light on the food of the bed. The room was comfortable. The dark furniture and the blue colors in his room complementing one another. Luke's eyes drifted to the door.

"Why are you cuddling with my pillow again?" Jesse asked with a raised brow.

Luke rolled around frightened and… fell out of bed.

Jesse pressed his eyes together and grimaced with pain.

A muted _thump _echoed through the room followed by a groan.

Jesse opened an eye again peering around his bed.

Luke was lying on his back staring at the ceiling with a frown.

"_Don't you dare—", _Luke said in between two breaths, "_scare me like that _ever _again_."

Jesse chuckled.

* * *

"Quinn," Shelby said with a smile on her face. "I didn't knew you were having a sleep-over," she added, raising a brow at Rachel who followed down the stairs.

Rachel grimaced. "I know. Sorry."

"My fault, Shelby," Quinn replied a hand raised. "The audition thing yesterday got a little bit..." Rachel immediately shook her head at her sister, "…out of time."

Rachel breathed out quietly.

"It went longer than we thought. And at the time we actually got into the car it was either to hers or mine… And since Lima would have taken a little longer…" Quinn shrugged.

Shelby nodded laughing. She gestured to the empty chairs at the table and the girls sat down. "It's okay, Quinn. No need to get into an any more detailed explanation."

Quinn shot Rachel a questioned look that she shrugged of by taking a piece of bread of the for breakfast loaded table.

"This tastes so good, Shelby. Thanks," Quinn said.

Shelby smiled, pointing to the clock at the wall a moment later. "You should hurry if you want to make it to school on time. Both of you."

Rachel furrowed her brows. "Aren't we driving together?"

Shelby lay her newspaper aside a brow raised.

Rachel slapped her forehead rising to her feet. "Doctor's appointment."

Shelby nodded. "I'll be at school around nine."

"Great. And how am I going to make it to school on time without a car?"

* * *

Rachel climbed onto the back seat shutting the door behind.

She slipped to the middle seat and buckled her seatbelt.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

**Shelby knew that you won? **_**Q**_

Rachel snorted.

**Breakfast. **_**R **__Like she couldn't have made it any more obvious._

**True :] **_**Q**_

Rachel laughed.

**Nice ride ;D **_**Q**_

Rachel's laugh died.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

Rachel's head turned to the passenger seat. She smiled at the blond apologetically.

She showed him the last message. "Quinn…"

Luke laughed. He turned around facing the windscreen sneaking a glance at his friend on the driver's seat. He was staring at the rearview mirror with an uncertain look on his face when Rachel spoke up.

"Thanks for taking me to school," she quietly muttered.

Jesse furrowed his brows and nodded.

Rachel put headphones into her ears, hit a button on her phone and suddenly started whisteling.

Jesse rolled his eyes starting the engine.

Luke sighed.

_Nice ride, indeed._

* * *

**Hey heart on the road again**  
**Moving on... forward**  
**See the stars, won't break the bones**  
**They're in the car... on the highway**  
**It's so magical feeling, that no one's got a hold**  
**Your heart can list the all, happiness you know**

Her voice was sounding huskier than usual.  
Still smooth and strong but… Jesse couldn't figure it out.

**This is your heart, it's alive**  
**It's pumping blood**  
**It's your heart, it's alive**  
**It's pumping blood**  
**And the whole wide world is whistling**

He was watching Rachel singing on the back seat when Luke suddenly screamed.

"RED, DUDE!"

Jesse braked sharply. The car stopped in front of the traffic lights and inhaled deeply.

"Could you _please _stop singing this song?" Jesse asked annoyed.

"What?!" Rachel shouted motioning to her headphones.

Jesse clenched his teeth together shooting Luke a dangerous look.  
_Stop this._

Luke pointed to her headphones and Rachel took them off smiling.

"What?"

"Jesse asks if you could stop singing this song? He can't concentrate on the street…"

Rachel shot Jesse a noncredible look but nodded.

Luke turned around. "See?"

**Drums **  
**A little guitar, please **  
**One, two, three, four**

Luke smiled apologetically.  
**"**To her defense: you just asked if she could stop singing _this- _as in the last- song."

**I hope you're ready for the time of your life **  
**Just look at me, I put a gleam in your eye **  
**Buckle up, we're gonna take you for a ride**

_Seriously?_

"And this is a damn good song too."  
Jesse glared at him.

**Let's go, we got you going, get in the vibe **  
**Everybody, put your hands to the sky **  
**Buckle up, we're gonna take you, take you high**

Luke groaned. He turned around grabbing Rachel's phone.

"Hey!"

Luke connected the phone with the Range Rover's media player and continued the song singing along.

**Show me, show me, show me, show me, show what you got **

Rachel laughed.

**Come on, come on, come on, come on, ready or not **

"And could you _please _stop making a face like you are about to die, Jesse?" Rachel asked.

"Who said I wasn't?" He replied cocky.

**La-la-la-la-la, let me see how you rock**

Rachel smiled brightly.

"What?" Jesse asked

**It's on, it's on, it's on **

"You need to re-audition anyway, _honey_," she spat.

**Get crazy, crazy, crazy, take it over the top **

"Definitely not, _sweetie._"

**'Cause we, 'cause we, 'cause when we rock, we let it rock **

"Eh, well, yes, you do. Something about if I win… Rings a bell?"

**Rock it, rock it, rock it, dance till we drop **

Jesse glared at her.

"Told you," Rachel answered smirking.

**It's on, it's on, it's on**

* * *

"You know, that was such an entertaining ride. I didn't have fun like that in ages. See you later, guys," Rachel said slamming the door behind.

Luke chuckled giving her a last wave before turning around again.

Jesse was staring at the steering wheel his eyes about to pop out.

Luke knew that he was trying to stay calm.

"I'm sorry, man," Luke started. "But you need to loosen around her. You can't expect her to accept you as male lead when she isn't even allowed to sing around you. Which I know you enjoyed…"

Jesse's head snapped around. "Excuse me?"

"Oh please! Like you didn't nearly get us killed because you couldn't take your eyes off of her."

Jesse snorted.

Luke nodded. "Sure. Keep yourself telling that." He unbuckled his seatbelt.

"I know you don't want to audition again but… It's that or singing with Giselle again."

"Which is not _that_ bad," Jesse replied.

Luke raised a brow. "But is it that what you want?"

Jesse turned around. _Like that was even a question. They both knew the answer to that._

Luke pointed to the center console.

"Maybe you should give it a try."

* * *

The school bell rang and the first break started.

It was just before nine when Rachel made her way to the locker when she heard a voice calling her name.

_Oh no._

Jesse was jogging down the hallway, a guitar around his back.

"Rachel, wait!"

She froze for a second and then turned around smiling broadly.

_He gave you a ride. He gave you a ride, _Rachel repeated in her head. _And you had fun… on his costs…_

"What can I do for you?"

Jesse stopped in front of her running his hand through his hair.

Rachel squinted her eyes together. _Was he nervous?_

"I wanted to apologize."

Rachel gawped at him.

Jesse laughed quietly.

"I know. And you have every right to doubt that but we need to work this out."

Rachel noticed that the other students started to stare and tries to eavesdrop on them but Jesse apologizing?

He grabbed inside of his pocket and pulled her phone out.

She immediately reached for it and regretted it the moment she held it in her hands.

_Not that there was something to hide…_

Rachel nodded.

"Okay, good! Since that's cleared…"

Jesse shook his head.

"You told me to re-audition. And since I'm _your_ male lead now I think I need to tell you something…"

He grabbed his guitar and an unbelievingly smile formed on her lips when he started to play the first accords.

**I'm good at wasting time **  
**I think lyrics need to rhyme **  
**And you're not asking **  
**But I'm trying to grow a mustache **

He made a goofy face. Rachel stared at him. She couldn't believe this.  
She shook her head suddenly feeling really awkward between all these other students who were thinking… _whatever_.

**I eat cheese **  
**But only on pizza, please **  
**And sometimes on a homemade quesadilla **  
**Otherwise it smells like feet to me**

She turned around walking away but that didn't stop Jesse from following her.

Her own fault, she figured. _Damn it._

**And I, I really like it when the moon looks like a toenail **

"Please, Jesse," she hissed.

**And I love you when you say my name**

He grinned.

**If you wanna know, here it goes, **  
**gonna tell you this **  
**The part of me shows if you're close, **  
**gonna let you see **  
**Everything but remember **  
**that you asked for it **

Rachel groaned.

**I'll try to do my best to impress **  
**but it's easier to let you take a guess **  
**at the rest but you wanna hear **  
**What lives in my brain and my heart, **  
**well, you asked for it**

Rachel stopped. She placed a hand on his chest and dragged him aside.

**For your perusing **

Jesse raised a brow at her hand.

**At times confusing **

Rachel sighed.

**Slightly amusing **

"Please?", Rachel asked with big eyes.

**Introducing me**

Jesse stopped playing. "I at least needed to finish the chorus," he said with a grin.  
"But it was worth to see that you were pleading me to stop like this." He laughed.

Rachel smacked his head. "You're an idiot."

"Ouch."

"So is everything fine now?"

"Nahhh… " Jesse raised a brow at her. "We'll see."

Jesse laughed. He slung an arm around her shoulder and they made their way back to class.

"You can let go of my shoulder now," Rachel said before they were back on the main hallway again.

Jesse blinked. "Sure."

"RACHEL BARBRA BERRY!" Coach Corcoran screamed.

Jesse turned to Rachel again.

"Barbra, huh?"

* * *

_Three hours ago..._

_"Glad to have the old Rachel back."_  
_Rachel squinted her eyes together, her lips tightly pressed into a line, slowly nodding._  
_"What's wrong?" Quinn wondered._  
_Rachel shrugged._  
_Quinn went to Rachel's wardrobe to get herself some of her clothes that she wisely stored in it for spontaneously sleepovers or situations like that-_  
_not that these happened on daily basis- when the room went silent._  
_Rachel was still standing on the cross-trainer but she didn't move. She had a thoughtful look on her face and Quinn could tell that she was about to speak._  
_"I don't know, you know?" Rachel said. "It's not that I'm not glad to have my lead back but... I mean Brody is leaving. And then there's Jesse..."_  
_Rachel took a deep breath and looked Quinn straight in the eyes._  
_"He scares me, Quinn."_

* * *

_Songs:  
_**_NONONO _****"Pumpin Blood"**  
_**Cast of Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam **_**"It's On"  
_Cast of Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam_ "Introducing Me"  
**

* * *

**December 31, 2014.**


	19. Trouble

**Happy birthday Mom :]**

* * *

_**BOYS -**_ **GIRLS - ALL**

* * *

_Trouble_

Luke sighed.

"You need to loosen around her. You can't expect her to accept her as male lead when she isn't even allowed to sing around you. Which I know you enjoyed…"

Jesse's head snapped around. "Excuse me?"

"Oh please! Like you didn't nearly get us killed because you couldn't take your eyes off of her."

Jesse snorted. _Did not._

Luke nodded. "Sure. Keep yourself telling that." Luke unbuckled his seatbelt.

"I know you don't want to audition again but… It's that or singing with Giselle again."

"Which is not _that_ bad," Jesse replied. And it was true. Just that it got to Giselle's head which made things… weird. In a creepy kind of way.

Luke raised a brow. "But is it that what you want?"

Jesse turned around. _Like that was even a question. They both knew the answer to that._

Luke pointed to the center console.

"Maybe you should give it a try."

* * *

Jesse was sitting in History class listening halfheartedly to something about World War Two.

He was playing with the mobile phone in his hand unsure of what to do with it.

_You should give it a try, _Luke had said. He scanned the classroom for his best friend who was following class oh so concentrated. _You should give it a try, _Jesse muttered in a mocking tone.

His eyes drifted to the brunette sitting in front of class.

Did he want to audition again? No. Was it unnecessary? Yes.  
He tried to think of things to avoid another audition but his look always turned back to the girl who was now lead again. _Thanks to him_. The only reason to get over with this stupid audition –again! He clenched his jaw.

Did he really want to sing with Giselle again? Jesse snorted. _Of course._

If he really hadn't wanted Rachel to win he could've helped Giselle. They obviously had been performing together. But it hadn't stopped him to let Giselle take over everything through their rehearsals. He actually hadn't been any help at all, he realized. Jesse knitted his brows. He was such a team player_._

Jesse sighed.

He flipped Rachel's phone open and stared at a picture of her and… Brighton…

He suppressed a gag. Now that was definitely something he didn't want to see.

He scrolled down her playlist and stopped.

A smile started to form on Jesse's lips. _Now if that wasn't something. _

The school bell rang and the first break started.

* * *

"Please, Jesse" Rachel hissed.

**And I love you when you say my name**

Jesse shot Rachel a grinning look. This thing between them somehow entertained him. Rachel rolled her eyes. Yep. He had a little too much fun at this.

**If you wanna know, here it goes, **  
**gonna tell you this **  
**The part of me shows if you're close, **  
**gonna let you see **  
**Everything but remember **  
**that you asked for it **

Rachel groaned. _There it was again_, Jesse recognized. That sound of her voice that he couldn't quite place- smooth and yet so husky. The same way she had been singing _Pumping Blood_ in his car only a few hours ago…It was different from the way he had heard her singing with her mother- and that was the point he realized.

**I'll try to do my best to impress**  
**but it's easier to let you take a guess **  
**at the rest but you wanna hear **  
**What lives in my brain and my heart, **  
**well, you asked for it**

Jesse laughed and Rachel stopped. She placed a hand on his chest and dragged him into the next empty hallway. Her voice sounded more mature. Full of self-confident. She hadn't been able to act as her normal self for a long time and since things had changed… Her voice had a pitch of sexiness in it that Jesse wouldn't have thought she possessed when they first meet.

**For your perusing **

Jesse raised a brow at her hand. He knew the signals. _She was so totally falling for him._

**At times confusing **

Rachel sighed. _Yeah. That had to be it._

**Slightly amusing **

"Please?" Rachel asked with big chuckled._._

**Introducing me**

Jesse ended the last chord. "I at least needed to finish the chorus," he said grinning again.  
"But it was worth to see that you were pleading me to stop like this." He laughed.

Rachel smacked his head. "You're an idiot."

"Ouch." He placed a hand over his heart. "So is everything fine now?"

"Nahhh… " Jesse raised a brow at her. "We'll see."

Jesse laughed. He dared to put an arm around her shoulder and without protesting they made their way back to class.

"You can let go of my shoulder now," Rachel said before they were back on the main hallway again.

Jesse blinked. "Sure."

"RACHEL BARBRA BERRY!" Coach Corcoran screamed.

Jesse turned to Rachel again.

"Barbra, huh?"

Rachel's eyes widened. Calling Rachel by her full name was never a good sign.

Jesse was still staring at her with an amused expression on his face. He rubbed his hands together excitedly. Rachel raised a brow. _Didn't seem like that one slap had been enough…_

The sound of Shelby's angry footsteps got closer.

Rachel opened the nearest door and did the first thing that came to her mind.

Hide.

* * *

Shelby walked through the hallway scanning any millimeter for Rachel, her eyes squinted into slits.

When she had arrived at school things hadn't exactly turned out as expected.

Shelby turned around a corner and spotted Katie and Andrea at their lockers.

"Have you seen Rachel?"

The girls closed their lockers and turned to their coach. Andrea shook her head and Katie furrowed her brows in confusion.

"No. Why?"

Shelby scoffed. She genuinely liked both Katie and Andrea but it didn't stop her from getting angrier with every second. Sometimes she wanted to strangle them for being such loyal friends.

"I know where she is."

* * *

"What did you do?"

Rachel flinched as she turned around and came face to face with Jesse. When she had hurried to close the door behind her she had not noticed that she had dragged him along. She scanned her surroundings and sighed. The broom closet. Great. Two people restricted at maybe two square meter with shelves filled from top to bottom at each wall and a sink in the corner.

"What do you mean with _What did you do?_?I didn't do anything," she replied throwing her hands up in the air. A bottle of cleaning agent hit the ground.

A stain of liquid started to spread out on her skirt. Rachel squinted her nose and Jesse nodded impressed. "You'll get us killed."

Rachel's eyes turned into slits as she faked a laugh. _Not funny. _Hands firmly upon her hips Rachel glared at him.

"What?" He asked pointing to her skirt. "You seriously can't blame that on me."

"If you hadn't implied that I had done anything," she replied her voice rising," I wouldn't have needed to suppress the feeling to hit you! Again!"

Jesse frowned. "But that didn't seem to stop your mom to scream your name in the hallway like—I don't know…"

Rachel scanned Jesse's face in the darkness of the closet and tapped her food on the ground. Suddenly his face brightened up.

"Like you committed an inexcusable crime… Now that you keep me hostage here…She must think that you have killed me." Jesse sighed disappointed when his head sunk down.

Rachel blinked. _Had he just really_\- Well, after all it _was_ a possibility… _What a loss._

When Jesse decided to raise his head again he knew he had interpreted the silence right. Rachel was exerted to suppress a laughter. She was looking at him with wide eyes, her cheeks flushed and a hand covering the lower part of her face. She looked like she had a hard time not to agree with him and Jesse's lips turned into an amused smile. She almost looked beautiful.

"I can't believe that you're laughing about this!"

Rachel cleared her throat. "I'm not."

Jesse nodded knowingly. "Wow. I need to get into the next witness-protection-program…" He answered dryly.

Rachel snorted with laugher.

"I'm serious," Jesse repeated laughing as Rachel waves his response aside.

She shoved him against the wall and the mob to his right fell to the ground.

"Shut up!"

He quirked a brow.

"Make me."

* * *

_Three hours ago…_

"_He scares me, Quinn."_

_Quinn looked surprised. If anything she would have expected something like this at last. __Rachel scared of Jesse? __Wasn't she the only girl who could keep up with him and wasn't falling for every move he made? __Hadn't she just kissed two other girls on stage to proof him that she was the rightful lead and that she could so this all on her own without him by her side?_

_"What if he's better than me?" Rachel whispered._

* * *

"I just saw her disappear with Jesse," Giselle explained.

She was standing in front of them with her books in her arms and a sly smile on her lips.

Shelby smiled triumphantly. She knew that Giselle had lost that little competition with Rachel the day before and that she still despised the idea of Rachel being lead again. But sometimes this little rivalry was really helpful.

"Good," she answered.

She motioned Giselle to guide the way and Andrea to also follow.

"Why me?" Andrea mouthed and Katie shrugged her shoulders.

Giselle turned around a corner and Shelby was relieved to see that at least some student knew how to behave around their teachers as they were trying to sidestep at her presence. She didn't knew enough pupils but she was well known for her reputation… and well, they rather wanted to be on her good terms than her bad. _Smart kids_. There was only a small group of her pupils that didn't really seem to care. And Shelby was about to make that change.

* * *

_And then, within a second, Rachel suddenly became very, very angry. __"What if we won't get along or worse: what if we have to sing together and our voices don't work with each other? What if Vocal Adrenaline doesn't need me anymore? If he is able to replace me?"_

_Quinn took Rachel by her arm and pulled her to the floor. S__he pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair._  
_"I'm not the same person as a year ago anymore." Rachel said. __Quinn smiled lazily._

_"I know," Quinn replied. "But this one here is not going down without a fight. __And doesn't Jesse need to convince you about him too again?"_

_Quinn could feel Rachel's body vibrating and when she looked into her sisters face Rachel was grinning._

_And then Rachel was eyeing her sister and scrunching her nose in disgust. "__You should shower. You smell."_

_Quinn shoveled Rachel back to the cross-trainer where she started to train again singing along to the music of NONONO's _Pumping Blood_._  
_Quinn smiled and closed the door to the bathroom desperately in the need of a shower that made _her_ blood pump again._

* * *

So he wanted her to shut him up. _Good, _Rachel thought. She wanted to wipe that grin out of his face.

She grabbed the water hose out of the sink to her left and before she could remember the water was dripping down his clothes.

Jesse's mouth was opened in shock. He really hadn't meant that, had he?

He had known that he had crossed a dangerously thin line but he would have never thought about something like_ that_. Jesse was staring at Rachel who was shaking with laughter. He looked down his clothes and noticed that they were completely soaked. A wet strand of his hair was sticking to his forehead and he clicked his tongue.

"_That_ was a bad idea."

Rachel smiled broadly as she absorbed his looks. His hair was tousled and the split ends were dripping wet. The white shirt he had worn was now completely soaked and Rachel had a clear look at his toned chest. Rachel titled her head and couldn't help but stare at his abs. _Damn. _Her view came to his face again and he really seemed surprised. _Yes! _Rachel wanted to throw her fist up in the air. He really hadn't seen that one coming. She tried to give him an apologetically smile. "Sorry?"

"You've never looked better" Rachel tried enthusiastically, taking a step back and reaching for the door knob.

Jesse's mouth turned into a smirk.

He raised his head and as his blue eyes locked with her brown ones she froze.

He knew that she was only seconds away from leaving-_ fleeing_\- out of this closet but he couldn't just leave it this way. That would have been completely unfair.

With a swift move he blocked the door and pressed her against a shelf. A roll of toilet paper landed on the floor and untangled itself. There was a little hitch of surprise in her voice. "Do that ever again," he whispered, his fingers slowly brushing hers. Rachel could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck and she suppressed a shudder. _What was happening here?_

The water hit Rachel and she finally understood.

Then she allowed herself to shudder.

* * *

"Here," Giselle said pointing to the door of the broom closet.

Andrea raised a brow. "Are you sure?" She asked with a pitch of skepticism in her voice.

Giselle allowed herself to sneer at Andrea but even Shelby could tell that she wasn't really happy about that situation either. She could see the wheels spin in her students heads.

_What could two teenager be doing in a broom closet? Together? Alone?_

Shelby blinked. _Definitely not these two._

While Andrea looked slightly amused and beyond curious what was expecting them behind this door, Giselle only knitted her brows and decided to address her Coach.

"If I'm allowed to ask… Why were you searching her again?"

Coach Corcoran looked over the girl and gave her an amused smile.

"Oh, but I wasn't only looking for her. It was such a coincidence that _you_ were the one that knew where to find her- and Jesse too."

Giselle's face went pale. Her throat suddenly became very dry and she wondered what she had done. _What had they done? They? Rachel- Jesse- and her?_ _Together? _

_What?_

Shelby nodded knowingly . She took a deep breath and reached for the door knob wondering what was expecting them behind. She turned the knob around and with one quick pull the door opened revealing her two completely soaked show choir leads on the ground fighting for the water horse. Andrea giggled and Shelby titled her head.

"Because maybe one of my leads can explain me _what exactly happened to the auditorium_."

* * *

"What was my part in this again?" Brody asked as he picked up a red cup from the floor.

Giselle groaned with a mob in her hand. "Ex male lead and boyfriend of _Rachel, female lead and daughter of Coach Corcoran."_ She shrugged her shoulders with a wide grin. "Benefits of your relationship. Congrats! That must suck…"

Jesse clicked his tongue. He was walking through the tiers with a big blue garbage bag in his hands, his soaked clothes clinging to his body.

"I heard that!" Rachel shouted carrying a large bucket with water. The door of the auditorium fell shut and Rachel winched. A strand of her wet hair stuck to her forehand which made Rachel pin her hair up.

"Oops. Sorry," Giselle replied and Rachel sent her a glare.

Rachel walked through the isle and handed Giselle the bucket.

She disappeared through the door of the auditorium again and returned with two brooms.

"Coach Corcoran actually wanted us four to do that together because we all had the position of lead now or then. Because we had some sort of responsibility and should have known it better…" Jesse explained.

Rachel handed him a broom and gave him a thankful smile.

"What a great kind of punishment," Rachel muttered.

Brody nodded. "Like you could blame that on four people," he replied motioning to the mess in the auditorium.

The four leads- former or not- turned around trying to get a better impression of the chaos.

"Is it only me or did anyone else not remember this?" Giselle asked.

The others furrowed their brows.

"Nope," they answered in union.

And then they all started laughing.

_**You had me hooked again from the minute you sat down**_  
_**The way you bite your lip**_  
_**Got my head spinnin' around**_

Brody and Jesse were both entering the stage wearing dark tuxes and microphones in their hands.

_**After a drink or two**_  
_**I was putty in your hands**_  
_**I don't know if I have the strength to stand**_

They were both walking to one corner of the stage singing like it didn't actually amuse their coach in the now one-hundred percent cleaned seats below.

_**Oh oh oh...**_  
_**Trouble-troublemaker, yeah**_  
_**That's your middle name**_  
_**Oh oh oh...**_  
_**I know you're no good but you're stuck in my brain**_  
_**And I wanna know**_

_**Why does it feel so good but hurt so bad**_  
_**Oh oh oh...**_  
_**My mind keeps saying**_  
_**Run as fast as you can**_  
_**I say I'm done but then you pull me back**_  
_**Oh oh oh...**_  
_**I swear you're giving me a heart attack**_  
_**Troublemaker...**_

Giselle and Rachel were soon following in their pink dresses. The wires of their white microphones were lying on the stage and leading to the back.

**I knew you were trouble when you walked in**  
**So shame on me now**  
**Flew me to places I'd never been**  
**So you put me down oh**  
**I knew you were trouble when you walked in**  
**So shame on me now**  
**Flew me to places I'd never been**  
**Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground**

Rachel spotted Andrea who couldn't suppress a laugh back at the auditorium door.

_**Trouble troublemaker, yeah -**_**Oh, **

_**That's your middlename -**_**Oh,**

_**I know you're no good -**_**trouble- **_**but you're stuck- **_**trouble- **_**in my brain **_**-trouble**

_**Trouble troublemaker, yeah -**_**Oh, **

_**That's your middlename -**_**Oh,**

_**I know you're no good -**_**trouble- **_**but you're stuck- **_**trouble- **_**in my brain **_** -trouble-**_**maker...**_

The volume of the song died down and the four took a bow together- Rachel and Jesse in the middle- Giselle to Rachel's right and Brody on Jesse's other side. Then Rachel and Jesse took a step back and Brody and Giselle repeated the procedure in front of their invisible audience.

The music that was still playing started to get louder again while Giselle and Brody were leaving the stage.

Jesse rolled his eyes and Rachel exceptionally giggled when he begun to sing.

_**Once upon a time a few mistakes ago´**_  
_**I was in your sights, you got me alone**_  
_**You found me, you found me, you found me...**_  
_**I guess you didn't care, and I guess I liked that**_  
_**And when you fell hard I took a step back**_  
_**Without me, without me, without me...**_

**And he's long gone when he's next to me**  
**And I realize the blame is on me**

Rachel and Jesse belted out together.

_**One, two, three, four**_

**'Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in**  
**So shame on me now**  
**I Flew me to places I'd never been**  
**'Til you put me down, oh**  
**I knew you were trouble when you walked in**  
**shame on me now**  
**I Flew me to places I'd never been**  
**Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground**  
**Oh, oh, trouble, trouble**  
**Oh, oh, trouble, trouble**

**No apologies. He'll never see you cry,**  
**Pretends he doesn't know that he's the reason why.**  
**You're drowning, you're drowning, you're drowning...**  
**Now I heard you moved on from whispers on the street**  
**A new notch in your belt is all I'll ever be**  
**And now I see, now I see, now I see...**

And for a first it was really fun for both. Because they had both maneuvered themselves into this. Maybe they had fought each other for too long- this for too long.

**He was long gone when he met me**  
**And I realize the joke is on me...**

Both Rachel and Jesse finally understood that maybe this wasn't that bad. They harmonized great and that was all that mattered. They would win every competition together and that was all that mattered.

_**One, two, three, four**_

If there was more trouble waiting along, only the future could tell.

**Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in**  
**hame on me now**  
**I Flew me to places I'd never been**  
**'Til you put me down, oh**  
**I knew you were trouble when you walked in**  
**Shame on me now**  
**I Flew me to places I'd never been**  
**Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground**  
**Oh, oh, trouble, trouble**  
**Oh, oh, trouble, trouble**  
**Oh, oh, trouble, trouble**  
**Oh, oh, trouble, trouble**

* * *

_Songs:  
**Olly Murs** _**"Troublemaker"_  
__Taylor Swift_"I Knew You Were Trouble"**

inspired by

_**MidnightFridayLights "**_**I Knew You Were A Troublemaker" (watch?v=UW8BWwLILks)*  
**_**Alex &amp; Sierra "**_**I Knew You Were Trouble" (watch?v=Drjn_xVyeI)***

*youtube

* * *

**January 27, 2015.**


	20. Give Your Heart A Break

**I feel like apologizing because I'm not updating (writing) enough but this whole Samchel thing just ugh- Let's just say it spoil_ed_ my motivation. **

**BUT...**

JESSE IS BACK! And I can't wait for next week's episode!  
I've watched all important performances of St. Berry in the last hours and I'm so damn happy about their reunion!  
Finally RIB made a right decision!

Tell me your opinions on that ;)

All my obsessive St. Berry love xx

* * *

_Give Your Heart A Break  
_

"So Brody'y leaving tomorrow?" Dani asked over the phone.

"Yep," Rachel answered. "We will take him to the Karaoke Bar for the last time tonight." Her voice was quieter than usually and sounded vulnerable.

"And how do you feel about it now that he leaves?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. She was lying on her bed counting the shining stars on the ceiling above her bed. "I'm not happy about it, if that's what you've asking for. But I know that he's got a better chance in New York right now than he has at Carmel. And I would've made the same decision."

Dani hummed an agree.

"Make sure to take him under your wing when he arrives in New York."

Dani nodded. She was taking a look out of the window watching the Skyline of Manhattan not that far away. "He will like it here," Dani replied.

"I know."

* * *

Coach Corcoran sighed. She massaged her temples and watched the uneven moves of her students on stage. Sectionals were close and even if she hadn't told her students that they needed to change the set-list at that time yet, she still wasn't very pleased with their performance. It included some important lifts and moves that they would need sooner and later again. She propped her elbow on the desk below and rested her chin on her hand as she watched her students. Her view was wandering through them when a blond head caught her attention.

Jaqueline Evans was good one and a half steps behind and Shelby wondered how her dance partner was able to be both in rhythm with her and the music.

Shelby observed the boy. Messy brown hair, blue eyes. Shelby couldn't recall Jared's audition in this moment but he pulled up Jaqueline's performance in a way she decided to give his singing another chance.

Her view drifted further. The nearly perfect synchronicity of Madison and Mason McCarthy calmed her anger. Shelby nodded. She squinted her eyes together in wonder thinking about their relationship as twins and if it was the reason they were so good in synch.

The boy next to them lifted Giselle without any effort. Chris was already 24 and Shelby didn't knew how much longer she could make him stay in Vocal Adrenaline but he was their secret weapon when it came to triple-flips.

Coach Corcoran noticed the fidgeting moves of Edward "Eddie" Barnes. Green eyes and big brown locks that were definitely in need of a cut and distracting Andrea and half of the team while fooling around. He was the class clown that she just wasn't able to kick out of the team because he was one of few selected that knew how to loosen any stress.

And then the usual suspects.

Andrea Cohen was out of practice and even if her place at Tisch was already safe she wanted to kick her ass to push her back to her standards again.

Katie Gibbs, still ambitious as hell. Best friends with Rachel since kindergarten and definitely in the need of a new dancing partner. She made a note.

When Shelby raised her head again she smiled in relief.

Since their first performance together Rachel and Jesse were on their best way to become the leading couple that Shelby needed to lead Vocal Adrenaline to another National title. They were beautifully in sync and their chemistry on stage was undeniable. He lifted her with an ease and she trusted his skills blindly. Rachel knew that he would be there to catch her because Jesse knew exactly where her next steps were leading her. When they were on stage together the time seemed to stop. Even from up there Shelby could feel the tension between them when they held eye-contact and predicted the moves of the other. They were extraordinary. They were the team that Shelby had hoped to unite when she had decided to replace Brody.

Shelby sighed. _Brody._

Brody was taking a sip of water from his bottle and watched Jesse and Rachel with an uneasy look on his face. He was jealous. And Shelby knew that he had every right to. He understood that Rachel and Jesse harmonized better on stage than they had. It made him clench his teeth but he also knew that their relationships couldn't be compared to one another. Jesse and Rachel were the perfect couple on stage but Brody and her were an actual couple in real life- even if they were only hours apart from separating. Brody admitted that Rachel and Jesse had become closer in the last week but their relationship was of a whole other nature. They would become best friends, Brody was sure.

When Luke cleared his throat next to her Shelby realized that she had been distracted by her thoughts.

Her students were looking up to her and Coach Corcoran decided to let the performance be. They would work on it another time and there were more important things for once.

* * *

"DON'T FORGET MY-" The doors of the audition closed behind Brody and Rachel stormed her foot on stage. "Vanilla-coffee…" Rachel muttered as her lips turned into a pout.

Coach Corcoran clapped into her hands. "So. Now back to business. Sectionals are close and we need to change a few thing."

Rachel sighed loudly and the rest of the team joined.

Shelby raised a brow at her and sighed herself. Her eyes drifted to Jesse. He gave her an annoyed nod and left the stage following Brody behind the auditorium door.

Rachel squinted her eyes together and watched her coach in confusion.

"We need to change the set list," Shelby said. The team sighed again but Shelby continued. "Even if I don't think that Brody will leak it I'm not going to take any risks. And since we have a new leading couple I made the decision to make a few changes that need to be prepared, too."

Rachel was opening her mouth in protest but Shelby was shutting it down before another argument was going to break out. "But for now… Luke, Katie?" Shelby suspired. "Could you bring the cake?"

* * *

"… and eight regular coffees," Brody ordered.

The girl behind the bar nodded. She turned to the coffee machine and started to fill the cups with the hot liquids.

Brody sighed. He hadn't imagined being turned into the coffee guy at his last day at Carmel. He once again was supported in his thought that Coach Corcoran was relieved to see him leave.

"And a vanilla-coffee extra, please," Jesse ordered.

Brody turned around and gave him a questioningly look. He then slapped his forehead and muttered "Rachel" along with Jesse.

"Yep," Jesse nodded with a supporting grin.

The two boys sat down on a table and waited for the coffees to get ready. Jesse leaned back in the chair relaxed when Brody started tapping on the table impatiently. He was examining Jesse on the other side of the table and sighed again.

"470," Brody started raising Jesse's attention. Brody exhaled and his mouth twitched sadly. "These 470 miles won't stop me from coming back to Ohio to make sure to beat everything out of you if you're going to hurt her."

Jesse breathed in sharply and watched Brody's eyes on him. He was giving him a serious look that made it clear what he was implying.

Jesse chuckled. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

Brody raised his brows. Even if Jesse thought about it like that Brody knew they both fooled themselves. Rachel and him had talked about their relationship and had made the decision to take a break. They both knew that long-distance was difficult and they both had agreed to start over as friends. Neither Rachel nor Brody wanted to disappoint the other if something was happening and they wanted to give it another chance when their relationship worked out on the distance.  
But Brody had a feeling that there was something going on between Jesse and Rachel. Something that both didn't seem to notice or admit. He had never asked Rachel what had happened at Monday when both arrived at detention soaked from head to toe. Maybe he hadn't wanted to know. But now he admitted that he was worried about the meaning behind it. What it meant for both of their relationships. He watched Jesse shaking his head in disbelief and giving him an amused smile when the waitress called them for their order.

The girl handed Jesse half of the drinks while Brody took out his wallet to pay. He took the rest of the coffee, nodded at the girl and left the coffee shop following Jesse back over the school ground.

* * *

Brody and Jesse were silently walking through the hallways of Carmel High. The doors of the auditorium were only a corner away when Brody grabbed Jesse by his shoulder and stopped him from opening the doors.

"I was serious about this, you know? Rachel I mean."

"I know," Jesse replied. "Me too."

Brody nodded relieved. When he looked into Jesse's serious face he knew that he hadn't to worry about the thing between Rachel and him anymore. He somehow trusted him. Even if it was just for the moment.

Jesse reached for the door knob but Brody interrupted him again.

"We are going to that karaoke bar in the city tonight. You are welcomed to join."

Jesse smiled amused.

Brody was holding out his hand and they shook it in agreement.

* * *

"Back to your places," Coach Corcoran ordered.

Rachel was staring at Shelby in disbelief and watched her classmates at a loss for words as they were leaving the stage and dragging her behind. Luke was gently pushing her into one seat in the front row. She was now sitting between Katie and Luke whose faces were straight fixed to the stage.

"What-" Rachel started again when the doors to the auditorium opened again.

She turned her head to the back of the auditorium when Jesse and Brody were walking down the aisle side by side. Rachel watched the boys getting closer to the stage wondering in what kind of wrong movie she had landed. Or was that an alternate universe? The idea of these two boys together? Rachel shuddered at that thought.

Brody's eyebrows rose at the scenario in front of him while Jesse had a smug grin on his face as his eyes met Rachel's. She returned his look with an unpleasant glare. _Why hadn't she been informed about any of this?_ She wrinkled her nose, turned around and crossed her arms over her chest as she glided deeper into her seat.

Jesse was immediately starting to distribute the coffees that he carried without making any mistake at the orders- Rachel rolled her eyes at this- and the drinks were soon on the lips of their drinkers.

The boy plopped into the seat next to his best friend with an innocent look on his face and a coffee in his hand. Rachel raised an annoyed brow at him as he gave her a questioningly look.

"Really?" Rachel asked.

Jesse shrugged his shoulders and gave Rachel her coffee muttering "You're so boring" at which she opened her mouth to protest- and was cut off by Shelby again who addressed Brody.

He was looking up the stage in curiosity and took a seat next to him as well.

"I know you think that I wanted to get rid of you by giving your lead to Jesse. But I want you to know that that was never fully my intention. I was given the opportunity and I decided to work on it. Not at least for the team. But who am I to talk about this? When you and Rachel were in New York for your audition at NYADA I got a phone call from a teacher friend of mine. He heard you singing in a karaoke bar and asked about you and your plans for the future. You know how that one turned out. But anyway… Today we are going to celebrate you. You were a great male lead and the whole team wishes you good luck at your knew school in New York. We will miss you and wish only the best to you." Shelby exhaled and Rachel could swear to see a tear glinting in the corner of her eye.

Brody was speechless. He was speechless at Shelby's involvement at his school transfer and he was speechless as his classmates wheeled a cake to his seat.

They were all hugging him saying goodbye and wishing him good luck in New York.

Jesse was getting up to divide the cake into pieces of the same size. Luke was distributing paper plates and plastic forks. And Rachel was remaining in her seat without another word as she watched them working hand in hand.

Brody's face beamed as he laughed and Rachel smiled herself. She knew that he had wanted to be an full member of this team again and now he could see that his classmates- that his team cared about him. It was his moment to shine and nobody was going to deny.

Rachel's view drifted to the stage again but Shelby had already made her way to Brody to personally say goodbye. Rachel watched them talk as her view was blocked by a plate of cake in front of her face. Rachel was looking up and Jesse was holding it with a fork between his fingers. A corner of Rachel's mouth slightly twitched and she took it thankfully. He was sitting down beside her and his view followed hers.

"Didn't see that coming, huh?" Jesse asked playfully as they watched Brody and their coach together. Rachel laughed softly. Any instinct to punch him for his sneakiness had disappeared the moment her mind had realized what he had done… for her boyfriend. Rachel shook her head at him with a tiny smile on her lips.

They were both watching them for a bit longer when her coach returned to her old self again.

And for once it didn't wonder Rachel that Shelby allowed Brody to join her to watch the rehearsal with another piece of cake on his plate while she shooed the rest of the team back on stage.

* * *

"When is your flight tomorrow?" Jesse asked.

"6AM," Brody replied taking the last sip of his drink.

"That's early," Luke stated.

The boys grimaced in union as the girls made their way back to the table.

"Rachel usually starts to work out at this time," Quinn explained. Rachel shot her a mischievous look. Quinn shrugged her shoulders. "It's true," she muttered.

Andrea placed the ordered drinks in front of the boys and sat down.

"And you're still here? Don't get me wrong, I'm the last person to stop you from partying. But I guarantee you: a jet lag is awful!"

Rachel nodded. She gave him a look of reproach and he sighed.

"I know. But we already said that this was the last drink, remember?"

He was raising a brow at Rachel and she rolled her eyes. The rest of the group laughed.

"So Jesse," Brody started. "Would you mind if I borrowed your female lead for a last duet with me?"

Jesse shook his head. "Go ahead. I will have to endure her for long enough after that."

Rachel's mouth opened shocked. "Ouch."

Brody winked at a laughing Jesse when he pulled Rachel out of her seat to follow him to the stage. He talked to the person in power over the karaoke machine and the guy nodded a moment later.

Rachel waited another moment and leaned down to Jesse whispering "You owe me an explanation on that" before turning around and joining Brody on stage.

They nodded at each other when the music started playing.

**The day I first met you**  
**You told me you'd never fall in love**  
**But now that I get you**  
**I know fear is what it really was**  
**Now here we are, so close**  
**Yet so far, how didn't I passed the test?**  
**When will you realize**  
**That baby, I'm not like the rest?**

"What was that about?" Luke asked.

**Don't wanna break your heart**  
**Wanna give your heart a break**  
**I know you're scared, it's wrong**

**Like you might make a mistake**

"Ahh…" Jesse laughed winking it off. "She thinks that I owe her an explanation on that," he said gesturing around the bar.

**There's just one life to live**  
**And there's no time to wait**

**To waste**

"Do you?" He replied.

**So let me give your heart a break**

_**Give your heart a break**_

**Let me give your heart a break**

Jesse shook his head.

_**Your heart a break**_

**Oh yeah, yeah**

_**On Sunday, you went home alone**_  
_**There were tears in your eyes**_  
_**I called your cell phone, my love**_  
_**But you did not reply**_

**The world is ours if we want it**  
**We can take it**

Rachel had decided to wear black shorts, a black top beneath a white blazer and slightly heeled shoes that made her look taller and older. Her wavy hair was softly falling down her shoulders as she reached her hand out for Brody.

**If you just take my hand**  
**There's no turning back now** _**There's no turning back**_  
**Baby, try to understand**

Wearing a light blue shirt above his white t-shirt Brody kept things simple.

**Don't wanna break your heart**  
**Wanna give your heart a break**  
**I know you're scared, it's wrong**

"So you're not going to work on it?" Luke questioned.

**Like you might make a mistake**

His eyes drifted to the couple on stage.

**Don't wanna break your heart**  
**Maybe I can ease the ache! the ache!**  
**So let me give your heart a break**

Jesse laughed quietly.

**Give your heart a break**  
**Your heart a break**

Rachel and Brody were smiling at each other. They seemed happy with each other even if Brody was going to leave in less than twelve hours.

**Your heart a break**  
**There's just so much you can take,**  
**Give your heart a break**

They continued to sing the last lines when the music slowly started to end.

**Let me give your heart a break**  
**Your heart a break**  
**Oh yeah, yeah**

"No," Jesse said as he watched Brody and Rachel hug.

* * *

Songs:_  
__**Demi Lovato **_**"Give Your Heart A Break"**

* * *

Characters:  
_Jaqueline _**Ashley Benson  
**_Jared _**Douglas Booth**  
_Eddie _**Robert Sheenan**

* * *

**March 8, 2015.**


	21. Walls

**I've waited all day to watch St. Berry on "We Built This Glee Club".  
Finally. Thank you RIB.  
**

* * *

_Walls_

"Are you sure about this?" Jesse asked, his voice filled with doubt. He briefly glanced at Rachel and furrowed his brows as he noticed she was only staring into space.

Shelby nodded. "I don't see any problem with it."

"But isn't this song a little unusual for Vocal Adrenaline standards?"

Shelby leaned back in her black swivel chair and smiled.

"It's something different. And Vocal Adrenaline could use something different and new." She lifted her finger and pointed at Rachel. "Until now she was the only one that carried the team to success. Don't get me wrong. I think she could always do it again. But we have fallen into a routine that Vocal Adrenaline simply cannot effort anymore. We need something new. Something that the judges don't expect from us. And if that means you two are going to sing this song… I don't see any problem with it."

Jesse laughed dryly. He hadn't got anything against the song choice and he really liked the song. But the girl to his side just didn't want to chime in. He had gotten to know Rachel by her continuous need to give her opinion to everything. She was the first protest if something wasn't going her way. But now it seemed like she didn't even care. And he honestly doubted that she was going along with her mother's plan.

"Rachel?" Shelby questioned.

The girl raised her view. She was moving the chain of her necklace back and forth. Shelby looked at her with raised brows. Rachel got up and walked to the door.

Jesse was staring at her back in confusion. He hadn't got a problem with singing this duet with her. But her weird behavior confused him. He thought that maybe she didn't want to sing this song- didn't want to sing this song with him.

And if he was honest with himself, he would admit that it was making him angry. Rachel wasn't acting professional and he just couldn't understand what was going on with her. They both knew they worked great together and this little duet would only proof that they would win Sectionals together.

He was watching her as she reached for the door knob, her hair neatly braided down to her back.

"Rachel?" He asked quietly.

She opened the door and stopped for a moment before she answered "I like the song" and closed the door behind.

* * *

The school bell rang out and the presenter announced that the competition was starting in five minutes.

Rachel and Jesse's heads rose up when they were standing in line to get themselves something to drink. Luke was already looking for their seats and Coach Corcoran was talking to one of the coaches of their rival glee clubs.

Rachel started tapping her foot impatiently to the ground.

Jesse let out an annoyed sigh. He turned her around so that she was facing him.

"Really, Rachel?" He asked.

She glared into his blue eyes and suppressed the feeling to tell him to mind his own business.

She clenched her teeth and forced a smile onto her face.

"Sorry," she muttered.

Rachel was about to turn around again when Jesse grabbed her aside and pulled her out of line.

Her mouth dropped open in protest as she glanced back to the line.

"Great. Thanks to you I'll never get my coffee." She looked downright pissed.

"What's wrong with you?" Jesse suddenly questioned.

Rachel gave him a confused look. She furrowed her brows and looked into his wondering face. He seemed like he cared and wanted to help. But Rachel knew better. She was just annoying him and he wanted her to shut up.

"There's nothing wrong with me. What's wrong with you?!"

Jesse groaned. He watched his coach going through the doors of the auditorium and took a watch at his clock.

He wanted to know what was going on because he really didn't knew how to deal with this kind of Rachel.

He was just about to open his mouth again when the cafeteria lady called for the next customer and Rachel stepped back into line to order herself a double vanilla coffee.

* * *

The auditorium started to fill with people who were looking for a place to sit. The upcoming Sectionals performances were the official start of the show choir competition and the others were soon following. When Jesse reached his seat the others were already talking about the information of the brochure. He had scanned it briefly before remembering the attending glee clubs being Aural Intensity, the Hipsters and New Directions.

Jesse was about to sit down as he noticed Quinn. She was beckoning him to come backstage. With a glance at the others who were still engrossed in their conversation he walked back through the tier again. Jesse furrowed his brows. He felt the stare in his back as he walked down the aisle.

He reached the stage and climbed the few stairs that were leading up to the stage. Quinn was standing on the other side of the curtain, her body half hidden when she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of sight.

"What's going on with Rachel?" She asked worried.

Jesse shrugged his shoulders exhaling deeply. "I have literally no idea. She just won't talk to me."

Quinn groaned. "That's so typical for her. If there's something that's bugging her she retires completely."

Jesse raised a brow. "I tried to talk to her before but she rejected_ me_ for a coffee."

Quinn giggled.

"That's not funny," he responded scowling.

She was smiling at him cheeky when her name was called.

William Schuester was waiting on the other side of the stage. He motioned to the clock on his wrist and shot Jesse an apologetically look. Quinn nodded.

"Okay, you know what?" She said after turning around again. "Get her into room 13. It's our dress room. I will make sure that our whole glee club watches the other performances and get you some time. Whatever it is that she don't want to talk about… Get it out."

Her words replaying all over his head he made his way back to his seat.

The lights started to dim and the judges of this competition were introduced.

His left arm was lying on the armrest and his face resting in his palm. His head raised as the first notes of Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat's _Lucky _were filling the auditorium.

Sam and Quinn were making their way onstage their voice harmonizing nicely.

Jesse couldn't stop himself to compare. Where his and Rachel's voices were powerhouses theirs were lightweights. They sounded good together. Nice and sweet and soft.

Jesse's view drifted to Rachel again. He remembered them rehearsing. Powerful, strong and full of passion. They made really great music together.

He was watching Rachel's face lit up at Quinn's performance and he knew he couldn't make that kind of music- that really great music- together with her in a state like this.

Jesse was slowly rising to his feet. He was looking down on her and taking a long breath.

"Room 13. Two Minutes."

* * *

Rachel was entering the dress room and closed the door behind. She was crossing her arms in front of her chest as she watched Jesse on the other side of the room. He was standing in front of the windows and the light was complementing his appearance.

"So?" Rachel started. She was leaning her back on the door and raising a brow.

"So?" He repeated. He was shaking his head in amusement. If he had thought that it would be easy to get her to talk after she had entered the room he had made a fool of himself.

"Look, Jesse. I have better things to do than this and I would rather watch the rest of the competition before we are staring the other into the ground."

Jesse nodded in agreement. "Good. Me too."

Rachel was rolling her eyes and about to turn to the door again.

"Tell me what's going on and we can leave. The door's locked."

* * *

"I can sit here _all_ day, Rachel."

Rachel clenched her jaw. She was desperate to leave. The tension in the room was unbearable and Rachel couldn't let herself down to talk to him.

She was mad at Quinn who was obviously involved in this arrangement. Her coat was still hanging on the wall and she saw the belongings of Quinn's teammates spread all over the room.

"The second act is up by now. If you hurry you can maybe make it to the award ceremony."

Rachel glared at him. Jesse was leaning down a chair he had decided to sit on while trying to get her to talk. Even though he looked as cool as a cucumber Rachel knew that he was getting really impatient. Realizing this put a smug grin on her face.

"She smiles! Someone call the Pope."

Rachel's smile grew bigger.

"Well now that irritates me," he stated.

"You want to get out of this room as much as I want it," Rachel responded.

Jesse shrugged. "I have time. And the last time we happened to be in a situation like that … Well I think it had become really cozy." He was grinning smugly and Rachel wanted to wipe that smile out of his face. Rachel scowled.

"What do you want to know?"

Jesse was already thinking of a witty response when her words sunk in.

"What?" He suddenly asked.

Rachel was raising her brows in annoyance.

"What do you want to know?" She calmly repeated.

Jesse's eyes widened for a second. Now that he was getting her to talk he didn't knew what exactly he had wanted to ask. And _What's wrong with you? _didn't seem like the right choice of words anymore.

Quinn's voice was echoing in his head. "You are retiring completely. You won't talk to anyone if it isn't necessary and I thought that we had already gone onto good term with each other. And now you are only staring into space with your bad mood and… I don't know, okay? This isn't you. And I want to know the reason of it."

Rachel was snorting lightly. She was looking up to him to meet his intense gaze again.

"Maybe it's something you don't want to talk- or even hear about."

Jesse shrugged his shoulders. "I don't want to work with you like that."

* * *

"You're pissed because Brody isn't answering?" Jesse asked doubtfully.

"Yes, no- I don't know, okay?"

"My god, Rachel. He's only living in New York for some weeks now. Let him settle in first."

"I know but-"

"No but! He's building himself a new life..." He looked into Rachel's face and noticed something else. She wasn't telling him the whole truth. "What's really going on with you? You can't tell me that this is bugging you that much. You aren't that kind of girl. What's the real problem?"

Rachel was raising her view. He was staring into her eyes with enough force to make her heart race.

"Do you want me to pour my heart out to you?" Rachel shouted angry. She wasn't going to let him manipulate her.

Jesse rolled his eyes.

"What's going on?" He repeated patiently.

Rachel swallowed hard and her eyes started to fill with tears. She was staring at him and trying to control her emotions the best she could.

But when her breath started to calm down again and she took another look into Jesse's sorrowful face to proof him that everything was fine her walls broke. He was taken aback for a second but restrained his posture quick. Rachel was hysterically throwing her hands up and down and he shortly expected that she was going to punch him. She was taking two deep breaths and wiped her tears away before she looked at him again.

"It's nothing," she repeated with a shrug.

He raised a brow and pointed to her red puffy face.

Rachel sighed. She slid down the wall in her back, planted herself on the ground and then she started talking.

* * *

"So you're problem isn't that he isn't replying but that you actually don't care if he does or not?" Jesse squinted his eyes together. "But isn't that actually good?"

Rachel glared at him.

"You've got problems..." He quietly muttered.

"So?! How would you react if you knew that your girlfriend came to the realization that it didn't make any difference if you left or not? That she didn't seem to mind at all? Huh?"

Jesse titled his head. "Just to make that clear: she _would _mind. She would actually be very devastated."

Rachel stared at him. Her mouth dropped open as he flashed her an apologizing smile.

"You are unbelievable."

* * *

She was telling him everything. From the day she and Brody had met and performed together on stage for the first time. How she had supported him on his audition for NYADA and how she had been there to pick up the pieces of his failure. She remembered their fights. Fights that had first been fought after Jesse had replaced Brody as male lead. Brody's jealousy wasn't anything that Jesse needed to know about -not any more than what had been obvious of course.

Rachel rested her head against the wall in her back.

"What do you think does that mean for Brody and me?"

Jesse mirrored her movement.

"Maybe he just isn't the right guy for you."

Rachel responded with a _hmm_. She remembered that a similar thought had crossed her mind not that long ago. On their way back home from the airport.

They were silent for a moment both occupied with their own thoughts.

And then they started talking.

They were telling each other stories of their victories at singing and dancing competitions. They made each other laugh.

They were talking about their upcoming Sectionals performance. Ideas for Regionals and Nationals. The rehearsals for _Funny Girl_ which were soon starting. How they imagined the musical.

Their plans for the future. Every single college they had applied for, New York, Broadway.

They missed the fact that New Directions won their Sectionals and that the audience had long left. That Shelby and Luke had been looking for them and that both of their phones were wildly blinking in their pockets because of unanswered calls and text messages.

They missed the fact that the sun had long sunken even though there was only darkness left around them.

Brown eyes locked with blue eyes.

And with this last view in their heads they somehow ended up falling asleep next to each other before Quinn gently shook Rachel awake and took her home.

* * *

"Are you, Rachel Berry, actually nervous?" Jesse chuckled. "I remember when I used to get nervous."

"I am not nervous," Rachel protested. "I've already done this a few times."

"Yeah, but this time it's different."

"That's stupid. I am still going to sing in front of the audience out there and I am still going to win Sectionals. There's no difference."

"We are," Jesse corrected. He shrugged his shoulders. "But you are right."

"Thank you," Rachel replied with a grin.

Jesse shook his head back laughing.

Rachel was adjusting Jesse's gold tie when their names were called and they made their way onstage.

Rachel was flatten her black dress another time. The gold stripes were perfectly harmonizing with Jesse's tie and definitely going to shine brightly in the spotlight.

Jesse laughed softly. "Are you sure you're not nervous?" He was making himself comfortable on the piano bench.

Rachel leaned herself against the musical instrument.

"I'm kinda nervous."

Jesse nodded. "Sure you are."

Rachel's eyes widened as she placed a hand on her chest. Her heart was racing fast. "Oh my god. I don't know what's going on with me."

"You are Rachel Berry- two Nationals winning Rachel Berry. We are going to win this thing. Just look at me, okay?"

"AND NOW: FROM AKRON, OHIO. LAST YEARS NATIONAL CHAMPIONS FROM CARMEL HIGH:  
_VOCAL ADRENALINE_."

"Okay," Rachel answered quickly. He was confidently nodding at her and giving her a last smile before their performance begun.

The curtain was rising and the spotlight was shortly blinding the teenagers on stage.

The applause quietly faded and Jesse started to play.

_**I've been alone with you inside my mind**_

Rachel was watching him closely as the first notes were leaving his mouth.

_**And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times**_

He turned around singing to her with passion and watching her like a lover would.

_**I sometimes see you pass outside my door**_

The way he was performing was giving her thrills.

_**Hello, is it me you're looking for?**_

This and the way she was feeling underneath his look was taking her last nervousness away as she started to join.

**I can see it in your eyes, I can see it in your smile**

This one line they were singing together already sounded brilliant and they started to smile.

**You're all I've ever wanted, and my arms are open wide**

Their eyes were locking and the audience around disappeared.

**'Cause you know just what to say, and you know just what to do**

Their chests were rising and falling to the rhythm of the music.

**And I want to tell you so much I love you**

During the next line Jesse was excitedly watching Rachel

**Oh, yeah**

They were watching each other closely without missing a beat.

_**I long to see the sunlight in your hair**_

Rachel was joining Jesse on the bench with a smile on her face.

**And tell you time and time again how much I care**

She was watching him from her spot and she felt herself being amazed by his appearance when the violins started to play.

**Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow**  
**Hello, I've just got to let you know**

They were getting closer to each other with every word they sung and taking turns with motivating the other to become better with every look they shared.

**'Cause I wonder where you are****, **_**and I wonder what**_**– ****wonder what you do**

Jesse's eyes fell briefly on her lips.

_**Are you somewhere **_**feeling lonely****, ****or is someone loving you?**

They were raising their voices and perfectly belting out the next lines together.

**Tell me how to win your heart, for I haven't got a clue**

With a last glance and a smile at each other they shared the last line winning their first competition together.

**But let me start by saying I love you**

* * *

_Songs:  
**Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat**_** "Lucky"  
_Lionel Richie_ "Hello"**

* * *

**March 14, 2015 ****_π  
_in which St. Berry was finally reunited on screen. *cries***


	22. Hello

**Listen To Your Heart x3  
(Who noticed that look she shot Brad after they finished the song ;) ?) **

**OMG- I love their chemistry. Jesse x3 Jon x3 .**

* * *

_Hello_

"I want to pick up the theme of one of the songs we've performed on Sectionals. I've recently sensed some friction between some of you…" Coach Corcoran let her view drift through the crowd of students in front of her. "What I want you to understand is that we can only win as team. Rachel and Jesse may play the leading parts on the team's success but there have to be at least ten more of you who are able to support them. And this team isn't going to function if you are all competing against each other. Don't get me wrong," Shelby continued with a dry laugh. "A little rivalry between you is always good. It motivates you to give your best- and this is what makes us better. Every single one of you. The team. But I want you to understand that you need to be able to rely on the person that's standing on stage next to you. I don't expect you to like each other at the end of the week. But what I want to see is that you appreciate the other when you're on stage with them. That you are able to work with each other and that you know you can rely on each other when we're working as a team."

Jesse leaned in to Rachel. "Why do I feel like this is ending badly?" He whispered, a brow raised. Rachel curled her lips. She knew she agreed on Jesse's assessment as she watched Shelby on stage. "Because it always does?"

"I mean just look at these two." Shelby pointed to her leads.

Rachel jumped surprised as the heads of their teammates suddenly turned around facing them.

"Before they won Sectionals _together _they literally fought each other." Jesse smirked giving them a little nod. "Now see how well that turned out."

Rachel was about to hide her face out of embarrassment when she caught Jesse's teasing look. She had learned to accept him as the person he was and she admitted that she really liked him like this. He was arrogant and cocky and so full of himself. But he was so natural at it. A small smile appeared on Rachel's lips. They resembled each other a lot, she had realized. He was as ambitious as her and he knew when to play dirty as well. Their voices were simply doing magic together and even Rachel wouldn't deny their chemistry on stage. Rachel put her hand down again and smiled broadly. When the heads of the others turned to their coach again Rachel stuck out her tongue out at him. Jesse chuckled quietly and grinned knowingly.

"I don't want to hear any complaints when you're not satisfied with the choice of your partner. Seriously. If you are not able to cope with your partner for one week, there's the door. What we need are team-player. No loner."

With raised brows Shelby's view drifted through her students again. They nodded understandingly.

"We don't have time for twelve duets because Regionals are just around the corner and there's a musical to produce too. What I want at the end of the week is a paper where you depict all good experiences you made with your partner during this week and a whole performance including all of you." Shelby took a deep breath. "Now to the teams:

Nick and Andrea,  
Jaqueline and Eddie,  
Katie and Jared…"

She continued to announce the teams when Rachel pinched Jesse in the arm.

"Ouch," he said rubbing his arm.

"I think your bad feeling was justified," she replied with a sound of worry in her voice.

"What? Why?" He looked confused.

"Jesse and Chris."

Jesse's face read surprise when Rachel shot him a worried look. If she knew Shelby at all she would now be teamed up with someone she would have wanted it at last. _Oh_. How her speech before suddenly seemed to make so much more sense now. If her relationship with Jesse had been the bigger problem before there was only one person left to deal with now.

"And last but not least: Rachel and Giselle."

* * *

Rachel knocked her head repeatedly on the table below.

She couldn't believe that Shelby wanted to upset her after the work Jesse and Rachel had done. _Together. _She had even rejected the thought of working with him before and now she was excited for their next performance together. She would have rather been teamed up with him to get to know him better than wasting a thought on having to cope with Giselle for a whole week.

"Oh come on, Rachel. Aren't you a little overacting?" Jesse asked in amusement. "Working with her isn't that bad."

Rachel glared at him. "Write her a love letter if you're so damn thrilled of working with her. Which I personally think, was really cheap the last time."

"I wouldn't go that far..." Jesse smirked. "Jealous?"

"Of what exactly?" Rachel snorted. She was giving him a challenging look. After all Rachel was still female lead and working with Giselle's crush whom she had just won Sectionals with.

Jesse titled his head. "Okay, your point."

Rachel smirked victoriously.

Jesse sighed. He walked to the table in front of Rachel's and sat down on the chair facing her. "It's only one week. And Giselle's graduating this year anyway. You will be able to settle your differences, I'm sure."

Rachel quirked a brow.

"Really," he confirmed. "If roles were reversed I would be able to handle the situation."

"Sure you would," Rachel muttered. "Giselle worships the ground you're walking on. She probably thinks you're a god."

Jesse chuckled. "Who can blame her?"

Rachel stared at Jesse. When he noticed her murderous look Jesse cleared this throat.

"But this wasn't what I was talking about. If Brody and me would have been teamed up we would have been able to settle our differences. I mean, we have the day before he left."

"What?" Rachel asked clearly confused. When had these two talked? And what had they been talking about?

Jesse nodded. "We had a - doesn't matter. Anyway... If you are complaining about having to work with her and Coach Corcoran gets to know about this... Let's just hope for better that Giselle isn't replacing you as female lead again."

"Not that you would mind," Rachel threw in and clicked her tongue.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "You know I didn't mean it like this. No one could replace you," he added with a wink.

Rachel sighed annoyed. "Yeah, yeah. And Chris?"

Jesse squinted his eyes together.

"I think he doesn't like me."

* * *

"I don't like you."

Jesse was slowly nodding at the boy in front of him.

"And why is that so?" Jesse carefully asked the older boy.

Chris titled his head and examined him.

"You have some kind of superiority complex that's just pissing me off."

"Ah."

"And since I'm friends with Giselle and you chose Rachel over her…" He continued explaining.

Jesse wanted to counter that there wasn't a better choice than Rachel and that there wasn't a girl in this team whose voice was approximately comparable to Rachel's. Their voices were made to sing with each other and even if Giselle and him had sounded alright in the past he wasn't convinced that their performances had the certain _something_ that he knew he had with Rachel. They were equals on stage and that would never change. But with Giselle…

He decided not to give Chris another reason for disliking him- even though there shouldn't have been a reason in the beginning because he just was awesome and nobody could really disagree on that- and sighed.

He raised his hands appeasing.

"I get it."

* * *

Jaqueline was angrily watching Katie and Jared on the other side of the cafeteria. They started laughing together and Katie briefly brushed Jared's shoulder. Jaqueline crushed the plastic cup in her hand.

Eddie was raising a brow at her crazy behavior and decided to keep out of her way. His eyes drifted though the cafeteria for a place to sit. He spotted Luke, Andrea and Nick a few chairs away of Jared and Katie and made his way over to them. There was a chair almost in the middle of the couples that he pulled out and sat down on. He groaned.

All three immediately turned their heads to him.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked amused.

"I envy you," Eddie replied sourly and lifted his eyes. He looked back and forth between Nick and Andrea and curled his lips into a grimace. "I don't know how I'm even supposed to talk to Jaqueline when she's so occupied with looking daggers at Katie. Poor girl. Poor _me_." They were absorbing the scene in front of them. Andrea laughed lightly at Jaqueline's jealous behavior and Nick shook his head joining. Luke stayed silent. "I mean, if it wasn't for this stupid paper I would have never even thought of making conversation with this girl."

"Oh come on," Andrea stated. "A little girl like her is able to scare the great Edward away? You are making yourself ridiculous."

"But she's got these crazy eyes…" Eddie shuttered at the thought.

Andrea was watching Eddie with a look of disbelief. He was risking his spot on Vocal Adrenaline over a girl he didn't like and didn't want to work with for a week. Yep, he set some weird priorities.

Jesse was placing his tray on their table and gave the others a nod. Rachel was soon following and took a seat on the other side. Jesse was pushing a dish of salad towards her.

"Oh, you two are so cute," Andrea teased.

Jesse glared at her.

Rachel snorted. "He can be thankful that I borrowed him the money for this." She pointed to his fully loaded tray. "Getting myself a salad doesn't seem like a big deal then."

Jesse rolled her eyes at her. "I told you, you would get it back later. But thanks for the input, Andrea."

Andrea smirked. "Always."

"So what have we been talking about?" Jesse asked the group.

"Eddie doesn't want to work with Jaqueline," Nick explained.

Rachel scanned the room for the blonde girl and nodded understandingly. "Wow. That's scary."

Jesse threw a glance at Luke and patted Eddie's back. "You just need to keep her away from Katie. Then you can write your essay and forget that you ever had to work with her."

Eddie sobbed.

"And you?" Luke questioned. "How are things going with Chris?"

Jesse put a spoon of Jell-O in his mouth. "He doesn't like me."

The group raised their brows at him.

Jesse sighed. "He thinks I have some kind of superiority complex."

Andrea's eyes widened. Nick and Eddie were shortly glancing at each other when they silently agreed to take a closer look at the table.

"What?" Jesse asked.

"You do have a superiority complex," Rachel explained.

Luke snorted with laughter.

"I beg your pardon?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I don't know what's the problem. The whole team has a superiority complex. Some more, some less. Your ego's just above average."

"Oh, because you are so modest?"

"Hey, don't blame that on me now. Chris is your problem, not me."

Jesse grinned broadly.

"And Giselle?"

Rachel shrugged. "What's with her?"

"How are you two doing?"

Rachel took a sip of her water and avoided eye contact.

The school bell announced the end of the break. The others got up and started to gather their belongings.

"Rachel?" Jesse repeated patiently. He didn't seem like he was going to move until he got an answer. A smirk was plastered all over his face.

Rachel gave him an annoyed stare.

"I'm going to ignore as long as I can," she replied with a big smile.

* * *

_To be continued..._

* * *

_**Review? :]**_

* * *

**March 18, 2015.**


	23. Team

**A/N: I know that I'm more likely writing this story for myself. But it really disappoints me when I see you guys are reading and not leaving a single review. It makes me feel horrible because I think it's not worth reviewing. But don't worry... I will continue nonetheless.  
**

_**"Keep in mind that the person to write for is yourself. Tell the story that you most desperately want to read." **_**\- Susan Isaacs**

* * *

_**Giselle** \- _**Rachel**_ \- _**All **

* * *

_Team_

"What do you think?" Shelby asked. She closed the door of her office and sat down. She folded her hands together and laid them down on the desk in front of her.

April took a long gulp from her pocket bottle. She nodded.

"They are incredible together. Both of them have these amazing voices and together they do magic. They have really great chemistry..."

With one look into her friend's face Shelby could tell April's hesitation. "But?"

"Don't get me wrong, Shelby," she said meeting her eyes. "You've made the right choice with Rachel and Jesse and I can see them on Broadway one day just like we were. But I think they are walking a little bit too much on egg-shells around each other. I don't know what's with these two. There's this big tension between them whenever they share a scene. It's nerve-wracking. But when it comes to the most important ones..." April shrugged helpless. "If they are not able to get over this issue that they are having you need to get new leads. I'm sorry to say this, but... If they can't work on a simple kissing scene they are not the professionals we thought they were and would be."

Shelby nodded. She had noticed the same thing too.

"They already made progress. You should have seen how they were acting around each other before. And now they have turned into... I don't even know what this is that the two are having. I can't recall the exact day things had changed between them but they are already acting like close friends. Like they have known each other for a long time."

"Only that this isn't enough," April stated.

Shelby sighed.

"Maybe they need more time. Brody just left a few weeks ago and maybe Rachel isn't ready for a new guy at her side. Even if it's just on stage."

April shrugged. "Maybe this isn't the real issues," she muttered under her breath.

* * *

Rachel was warming herself up waiting for the ballet class to start. It was still an whole hour until then but she needed to clear her head.

She caught a look of herself in the mirror. A loose grey shirt that was only covering her right shoulder and revealing the pink top beneath. The blue color of her sweatpants was nearly purple and ending just below her knees.

She let her shoulders roll and started to pirouette.

"Thought I would find you here."

Rachel turned around in surprise.

Jesse was leaning against the barre next to the door. He stood there like he had watched her longer and had only decided to attempt her a second ago.

Jesse walked over to the wall to his left, leaving his bag at one of the chairs. His eyes drifted to her legs. Rachel nodded slightly.

She got down on the floor, Jesse following on his knees. He took her leg and stretched it close to her head. He repeated the procedure with the other leg.

Rachel knew that he was going to ask what was going on with her-_ again_. He always seemed to ask.

But she couldn't talk about it now. Rachel glanced up at him. She could smell his cologne, something masculine and heavy, that messed with her head. It was intriguing. His beautiful blue eyes were so naturally fixed on the work on her legs. They were so close and yet they couldn't have been more apart. She closed her eyes.

"I thought of wearing a wig."

Jesse furrowed his brows.

"What?"

"A wig. For Funny Girl. I thought it would make a good change."

She lifted her hair motioning to the length. Her neck was exposed and Jesse couldn't help himself to stare for a moment.

"And? What do you think?"

Jesse's eyes widened when he looked back into her eyes again. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to her trained legs again.

"I don't know. I think we would need to see it to make a decision on that."

Rachel exhaled quietly.

"I have one at home. Maybe we could take a look sometime?"

Jesse stopped. He didn't know what to think of her invitation and if he was honest with himself he was scared of the possibilities of the meaning behind it. _What was wrong with him?_

He met her asking eyes and nodded.

"Sure."

Rachel smiled relieved.

"Good."

* * *

Giselle was wandering through the hallways trying to find Rachel. Since she was a senior and didn't share any classes with Rachel- _thank God!- _she had already been looking for her everywhere and longer than it was necessary in her opinion. But Giselle wanted to get on Coach Corcoran's good terms again. Even if it meant working with Rachel.

She turned around another corner walking straight towards the ballet training room. She reached the door and suddenly stopped. She heard voices and decided to take a glance. The door was left ajar and Giselle immediately recognized Jesse and Rachel.

"Maybe we could take a look sometime?" Rachel asked.

Giselle was watching the reaction on his face in the mirror. It froze for a second before he looked into her eyes and nodded. She furrowed her brows.

"Sure." Her chest tightened.

"Good." Giselle heard the relief in Rachel's voice and decided to interfere.

She took a deep breath and tore the door open.

Rachel and Jesse winced at her action.

"God, Giselle," Rachel groaned. "Couldn't you just open the door like normal people would?"

Giselle quirked a brow at the scene in front of her. "It wasn't my intention to interrupt," she replied with a smirk. "Sorry."

Rachel's view drifted to Jesse and they shared an annoyed look.

Jesse got up and wiped the dust off his jeans. He gave Rachel a last wink mouthing _later_ before nodding at Giselle and leaving the room.

"We need to talk."

* * *

"I want to get this stupid assignment over with," Giselle explained. "And if that means having to talk with you as the civilized person I am…" She shrugged.

Rachel snorted. Giselle rolled her eyes and hold out her hand. Rachel stared at it for a moment and sighed. She reached for her hand and let Giselle help her getting up.

Rachel walked through the room taking her towel out of her bag. She wiped the sweat out of her face and laid the towel around her neck.

Giselle was impatiently waiting for her.

When Rachel turned around she pointed to the chairs in the corner. Giselle nodded and the girls sat down. Rachel placed a bottle of water under her chair and offered Giselle another. She thankfully declined.

"My name is Rachel Berry and I'm sixteen years old…"

* * *

"Can I ask you a question?"

Rachel nodded. She had learned a lot about Giselle in the past hour and she since Giselle had been the one to approach her first she felt like she owed her.

Giselle hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure where to begin and she wanted an honest answer that would make things clear between them.

"What happened between Brody and you?"

Rachel stared into Giselle's eyes and squinted her eyes together. It wasn't a question she had expected and yet Rachel knew where it was leading to.

She turned her head around and stared out of the window. It was a good question. Not difficult to answer but complex in the explanation.

Rachel shrugged. "Maybe he just wasn't the right guy for me," Rachel explained, subconsciously repeating Jesse's words.

"What do you mean?"

Rachel sighed quietly. "I remember the day after he had his NYADA audition and we flew back to Ohio. We were driving in a cab and he literally fell asleep on me." Rachel laughed quietly at the memory. "I had already noticed before that our roads were going to lead in different directions but in this moment I knew that it had already happened. If I had chocked on this audition I would have stayed in New York trying to do everything I could to get another chance. He just accepted it and backed off. He continued his life here as nothing had happened."

Giselle gave her a small nod and Rachel continued.

"And then after we got back and Jesse took his position in the team everything worsened. His jealousy was getting the worst out of him and we got into senseless fights. He decided to question my involvement in all of this rather than listening to me and trying to believe that I had nothing to do with it. I honestly still don't know what made him think like that."

"Your chemistry," Giselle explained. A dry laugh escaped her lips as she watched the confusion in Rachel's face. "You haven't noticed it?" She asked.

Rachel slowly shook her head.

"Brody wasn't jealous because Jesse took his lead. He knew that Jesse was better than him and it's the same think that you have just explained. He backed off without trying to get another chance."

Rachel was about to protest when Giselle shut her down.

"Don't tell me it was him that asked for a re-audition. I may not like you but I know you good enough."

Rachel clicked her tongue in defeat.

"It's your chemistry," Giselle continued. "Brody had always been jealous about your chemistry with Jesse. I have too. Nobody can deny the tension whenever you two are in a room together." Her shoulders sunk down. "It's not only on stage but everywhere you two are together. You have a deep connection…"

"You really like him," Rachel stated emotionless.

"Of course. " Giselle laughed dryly. "And I'm not the only one."

She stared into Rachel's eyes searching for an answer.

She tried to remember if there had been anything that supported Giselle's observations. They had great chemistry. The way they were acting around each other was naturally. It always had been. She had always felt some kind of spark that she didn't know where to place when he had provoked her. Now she understood. The time in the closet and the way her chest had tightened under his look when they had sung _Hello_ together. Rachel took a deep breath trying to ignore her own confirmations. Every finer in Rachel's body tried to deny it. She couldn't be in a vulnerable place like this. This wasn't happening.

"I just want you to honestly tell me one thing: is there something going on between you?"

Rachel suddenly raised her head. Her eyes were widened and she rung for words.

Was there something going on between them?

"I don't know."

* * *

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Jesse asked.

Rachel stared at the boy next to her. But this time, she realized, she saw him with other eyes.

"No!" Rachel blurted. He raised a brow at her and his lips parted in protest when she corrected herself. She needed to work on that. "I mean that it isn't important. Just the usual, you know?"

Jesse furrowed his brows. "No?"

Rachel waved it off. "Doesn't matter. Oh, look. There she is. Let's talk about the last details…"

Rachel was hurrying over to Giselle and left a confused Jesse behind. He was watching them from over there wondering what had possibly been able to make their relationship take a turn like that. Rachel was throwing her hands in the air talking insistently to her former enemy. Giselle shook her head and laughed quietly. A smirk was forming on her face and when Rachel turned around again their eyes met. She had a frown on her face that turned into an agonized smile as she recognized his face. Her view drifted to Giselle and he noticed that she was giving him an amused smile.

Rachel walked over to Jesse and groaned.

"I hate her."

* * *

_**There's a humming in the restless summer air**_  
_**And we're slipping off the course that we prepared**_  
_**But in all chaos, there is calculation**_  
_**Dropping glasses just to hear them break**_

Shelby was watching her students moving to the rhythm on stage. The boys followed Giselle's lead all equally dressed in jeans and black shirts.

_**You've been drinking like the world was gonna end (**_**it didn't**_**)**_  
_**Took a shiner from the fist of your best friend (**_**go figure**_**)**_  
_**It's clear that someone's gotta go**_  
_**We mean it but I promise we're not mean**_

_**And the cry goes out**_  
_**They lose their minds for us**_  
_**And how it plays out**_  
_**Now we're in the ring**_  
_**And we're coming for blood**_

Voices from behind the curtain were joining in the chorus.

**You could try and take us (oh-oh)**  
**But we're the gladiators (Oh! Oh!)**  
**Everyone a rager (oh-oh)**  
**But secretly they're saviors**  
**Glory and gore go hand in hand**  
**That's why we're making headlines (Oh! Oh!)**  
**You could try and take us (oh-oh)**  
**But victory's contagious**

_**Delicate in every way but one (**_**the swordplay**_**)**_  
_**God knows we like archaic kinds of fun (**_**the old way**_**)**_  
_**Chance is the only game I play with, baby**_  
_**We let our battles choose us**_

_**No-one round here's good at keeping their eyes closed**_  
_**The sun's starting to light up when we're walking home**_  
_**Tired little laughs, gold-lie promises**_

**we'll always win at this**  
**Cause victory's contagious**

Giselle's eyes followed the stage and landed on Rachel. She gave her a challenging look and Rachel choked back her anger. She entered the stage with the girls and Jesse by her side.

**Call all the ladies out**  
**They're in there finally**  
**A hundreds jewels on throats**  
**A hundred jewels between teeth**  
**Now bring my boys in**  
**Their skin in craters like the moon**  
**The moon we love like a brother, while he glows through the room**  
**Dancin' around the lies we tell**  
**Dancin' around big eyes as well**  
**Even the comatose they don't dance and tell**

The two factions met each other in the middle of the stage building a contrast in black and white.

**We live in cities you'll never see on screen**  
**Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run free**  
**Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams**  
**And you know, we're on each other's team**

**I'm kind of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air, so there**  
**So all the cups got broke shards beneath our feet but it wasn't my fault**  
**And everyone's competing for a love they won't recieve**  
**Cause what this palace wants is release**

Rachel and Giselle were sending daggers at each other and Shelby wondered what had happened again. After reading their essays she had thought they had made peace. She rolled her eyes at their drama.

But they didn't need to like each other.

**We live in cities you'll never see on screen**  
**Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run free**  
**Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams**  
**And you know, we're on each other's team**

They only needed to work with each other.

**And you know, and you know, and you know**

* * *

_Songs:  
**Lorde**_ **"Glory And Gore"  
_Lorde _"Team"**

* * *

**Honoring the final episodes of the series that brought so much glee to my life. **

**2009\. **Touching. (Even through I'm still wondering if Leroy or Hiram is Rachel's black dad...)

**Dreams Come True. **Unwatched. Going to change that now.

* * *

**March 21, 2015.**


	24. The Art Of Friendship

**HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY JONATHAN GROFF x3 **

* * *

**Rachel - _Jesse_ \- Both **

* * *

_The Art Of Friendship_

**What's the difference if I say I'll go away**  
**When I know I'll come back on my knees someday**  
**For whatever my man is**  
**I am his forevermore**

Rachel finished the last verse and immediately settled her view on her audience to get a rating out of their faces.

She noticed that April threw her hands in the air and Shelby tried to calm her down. Their discussion grew louder but Rachel was still too far away to understand a word.

The second reaction she caught was Giselle's sneering face. She started laughing about something that Chris had said and raised a quizzical brow at Rachel.

She blinked a few times trying to understand what was going on in the auditorium. Had she really been that bad? She couldn't imagine. This song was one of her most favorite Barbra classics. She had poured her heart and soul into this song. She had tried to flow every emotions into it that she related to the music- the message behind it.

Rachel nervously scanned the auditorium for the person whose opinion mattered most to her. When she couldn't find Jesse she really assumed the worst. If he had left the auditorium after her performance she had really screwed it up. But why?

She heard footsteps getting closer and a flash of relief flooded through her body. She knew the sound of Jesse's walk by heart. She knew that he was going to tell her the truth and that her performances had been great. He would sure criticize some points but he would help her to approve them.

The relieved smile that had developed at this thought disappeared the moment she laid eyes on him. There was a deep line between his brows and his smile appeared artificially.

She closed her eyes for a moment, too afraid of his reaction. She cursed herself for having developed feelings for him that surely would be able to disturb her professionalism. It would make everything so more difficult.

Rachel didn't want to open her eyes when she heard him stop. She knew that he was standing only a few meter away from her waiting until she was ready to face his criticism. But in reality, she wasn't.

Jesse was staring at her with an uneasy look. He expected her to turn around and walk away because she couldn't bear what was going to be said.

In his opinion April had simply overreacted but there was one thing that Rachel had simply missed at her performance.

Jesse let out a deep sigh. He didn't know how much longer Rachel was going to avoid this confrontation when her eyes suddenly shot open. Her brown orbs met his with a determination he couldn't help but admire. She _was_ professional after all.

She was holding his gaze and noticed every little detail in his face. The little twitch of his mouth when she had opened her eyes, his pupils dilated.

They were staring at each other and Rachel wasn't going to let whatever he was going to say get to her on an emotional level.

There was an almost apologetic touch in his look when his eyes darkened and he got fully into leader-mode. In order to shine he needed to make her look better, too. She understood.

She gave him a small nod and stood her ground dignified.

"You totally lacked Barbra's emotional depth."

He turned around, leaving the auditorium backstage and Rachel let out a deep breath she hadn't known she had held.

* * *

With a big pillow in her back and a bowl of ice-cream in her lap Rachel was watching Reese Witherspoon on the TV-screen in her room. She liked the idea that a once on a man depended woman became more successful than him and showed him his place. Warner was the type of guy Rachel disliked the most. Not capable of anything and yet thinking he was better than anyone else. While Elle had worked hard for getting into Harvard Warner's father only had to call someone. And Warner was the opposite of smart. He had no humor, no talent in anything and his looks resembled his non-existing qualities.

Rachel watched Elle as she threw her chocolates to her own screen when she heard a knock on her door. Quinn entered the room a moment later.

She raised a brow at Rachel's movie choice and made her way over to Rachel. She placed herself on Rachel's bed and joined her watching.

Rachel's view drifted to the window to her right and she rolled her eyes annoyed.

She knew that she couldn't blame Quinn on Jesse's criticism but she just wanted to be alone. She wanted to be able to throw her chocolates to her very own screen when she remembered the ice-cream in her lap. She groaned quietly.

Rachel wondered why Quinn hadn't already said a thing but she seemed to be caught in her own thoughts too. The corners of her mouth were hanging down and her eyes seemed to glitter for a moment. Why were they all so depressed today?

Rachel sighed and offered her sister the spoon to her bowl. Quinn took a full spoon of ice-cream and pointed to the TV.

"Legally Blonde?"

Rachel shrugged. She had needed something to cheer her up and the story of Elle Woods had never failed to amuse her.

"How did the rehearsal go?" Quinn asked interested. She knew Rachel well enough and if she hadn't decided to watch her weekly musical something had to be up.

Rachel tensed. She suddenly remembered April's churning behavior and the sneer on Giselle's face.

"Maybe I should quit and leave it to Giselle," Rachel admitted. She heard a cough beside her and faced her sister, a brow raised.

"Excuse me?"

"It doesn't seem like I am capable of mediating any message to the audience when I sing. Because, you know, _I totally lacked Barbra's emotionally depth."_

Rachel passed Quinn the bowl of ice-cream and crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn't going to admit that his words had hurt.

"You are sulking," Quinn stated. "You are never sulking about something like that. Normally you would do anything to proof him wrong."

"Him?" Rachel questioned suspiciously.

"Well… There's only one opinion that you would let get this close to you. And it's obviously Jesse's."

"Excuse _me_?"

Quinn sighed and placed the bowl on the bedstand to her right.

"Rachel," she begun with force in her voice. "You can't expect me to believe that there's nothing going on between you. His words wouldn't have hurt you like that if it was different."

Rachel clenched her jaw. She knew that Quinn was right with her assumption that his words had hurt. But the problem was something whole different. There _wasn't _anything going on between them.

"How many times do I have to repeat that there's nothing?" Rachel threw her blanket aside and got up.

"Until I am actually convinced that you really believe that?"

Rachel stared at her sister-in-spe and her mouth went dry. "Get out."

Quinn's mouth dropped open. She stared at Rachel for a moment but she didn't seem like she was going to change her mind. Quinn clicked her tongue mumbling "Alright" and disappeared through the door a moment later.

Rachel was on her way to the window wondering if she had been unfair but dismissed the idea immediately. Quinn had no right to interfere into her relationship with Jesse. She moved the curtain aside waiting for Quinn to leave the house when there was a knock on her door.

Rachel stormed towards it, shouting "I told you to leave!" when she angrily pulled the door open coming face to face with the one person that had caused all that mess.

* * *

Rachel's heart dropped for a moment.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with an icily stare.

"Ehm…" Jesse was standing in her doorway, confusion written all over his face. "Movie night?"

Rachel gave him a disgusted look when she closed the door between them and walked back to the window. She could hear the sound of Quinn's starting car but when she pulled the curtain aside for another time the car was gone. Rachel tried to catch a glimpse of the back-up lamps when she heard the door open.

"I haven't told you to come in," Rachel said coldly. She was literally giving him the cold shoulder.

"What have I done?" He asked carefully.

She turned around in one swift move and stared at him in disbelief. That he did even dare to show up at her door after he had insulted her so cruely. The boy was unbelievable. What had she seen in him again?

"Do you honestly need me to answer that?"

Jesse sighed. He walked over to Rachel's desk laying down a movie and a box of chocolates. He started putting his hands through his curly hair and something in Rachel shifted. He raised his view and their eyes locked.

"Rachel," he started. "You shouldn't let what happened at school let influence our relationship. Nothing's going to change between us just because I criticized your singing once."

Rachel raised a brow at him but he only laughed.

"You are seriously mad about this. I can't believe it."

Rachel walked over to him and pushed a finger into his chest. "Really? So tell me how would you react if I told you that you completely lacked Freddie Mercury's depth when you performed _Bohemian Rhapsody_, hm?"

Jesse chuckled. He knew he was only going to upset her more but he really couldn't stop himself.

"I know that you would never have said that. I mean, you had a crush on me after that performance."

He shrugged apologetically.

Rachel's mouth dropped open. She stared at him for a moment not believing what he had just said. She placed her hands on her hips. Two could play this game.

"So you would rather want me to sing _Don't Rain On My Parade_?"

She gave him a smug grin.

Jesse immediately regretted the decision to call her out on that again. He knew she could play dirty, too. But he would have rather not be reminded on his former crush on her. Back then he hadn't even known Rachel but now… He would be lying if he claimed not to remember it when she was around. Right now the scent of her hair distracted him. He could just stop himself from leaning down.

He clicked his tongue. "Fair enough."

Rachel was very aware of Jesse's presence next to her and she suddenly felt very uncomfortable. They were standing way too close to each other and the way he had just gazed down to her had made something flip in her stomach.

She walked to the door and held it open.

Jesse sighed. He grabbed the things he had brought and stopped beside her.

"You shouldn't take the criticism to heart. You're professional after all."

Rachel gave him a small nod implying that she was going to give it a second thought.

He was just about to leave the room when Rachel grabbed the chocolates out of his arm. She gave him a little wink and he laughed before he walked down the stairs.

Rachel opened the box and closed the door.

When she heard his car pull away she threw them against her screen.

* * *

Rachel had hardly gotten any sleep this night. She had tossed and turned in bed but her mind just didn't want to stop working. She had gone through every little detail about her conversations with Jesse and Quinn and she had realized that she had overreacted. Jesse's remark on her performance had hit her harder than she wanted to admit. Now it was time to make amends. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and hit speed-dial.

"Rachel?" Quinn answered skeptical as she picked up the call on the other line.

"I'm sorry."

"Could you repeat that?"

Rachel sighed. "I didn't mean to scream at you. And I'm sorry for telling you to leave. I just wasn't able to deal with the criticism at some point and it really depressed me."

"I already guessed," Quinn said.

"You were right."

Quinn raised a brow. "With what exactly?" She replied demanding.

There was a pause in line and Quinn wondered if Rachel was going to back down.

"I—" There was hesitation in Rachel's voice that she just couldn't get under control. How could she tell Quinn to what realization she had come? She didn't want to. If she was going to say it out loud she was making it real. But she needed to tell Quinn. She needed to explain herself.

Quinn noticed a heavy expiration of breath before Rachel started talking again.

"You were right with what you've said. His words wouldn't have hurt me like this if I didn't have feelings for him. I just didn't want to believe it. How could I admit to myself that I had fallen for him after we had such a difficult start with each other. I mean, isn't it a little cliché to fall for your enemy?"

Quinn started thinking about Rachel's revelation and a moment later she started laughing.

"You were never enemies," Quinn explained. "You were attracted to each other in more way than one and you both didn't know how to deal with it in the given situation. Just look how fast you two became this close as everything progressed. There are only two things that people like you and Jesse can do. Either you hate each other with passion or you fall in love with each other. I'm sorry to tell you this but staying friends with him would have never been an option. Not since you met."

Rachel remained silent.

"I actually envy you for having such a deep connection to someone that you actually like," Quinn added.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Rachel answered finally.

"What? Why?"

"It's—We're just not made to happen. And I'm actually pretty relieved. Because since I actually got to talk about it, it isn't bugging me anymore."

"Rachel?"

Rachel smiled genuinely. She knew that they weren't made to happen. Rachel would have noticed if Jesse had shown the slightest interest in her. Even he wasn't that good as an actor.

Quinn stared at the phone in astonishment. Rachel was really convinced that Jesse didn't feel the same way. If Rachel wasn't going to make a move there was only one person left that she needed to convince.

Her brain started to make plans.

"What was going on with you yesterday? You had been crying," Rachel stated.

Quinn shrugged. "I was just tired…"

* * *

They had all agreed on doing karaoke Fridays after Brody's farewell party.

They had realized that it made a great difference when they only sung for fun. It calmed them down when they could sing without any criticism and pressure they were put under because of Vocal Adrenaline's ambition for success.

Luke and Jesse were over at the bar getting themselves something to drink when Rachel and Quinn entered the bar. They made their way over to Katie, Andrea and the rest of VA that they had invinted to join.

Jesse's eyes were following Rachel's moves and as she recognized him she gave him a small nod. He sighed in relief.

"So she has given it a second thought," Luke reasoned.

"I hope so," Jesse replied. "I didn't mean to insult her or anything. How could I know that she would take it so much to heart?"

Luke raised his brows in mock. "Seriously?"

"She slammed a_ door_ into my face. Just imagine the damage..."

Jesse's hand touched his cheek lost in imagination. Luke chuckled. He took a sip of his drink and shook his head in amusement wondering how blind his best friend could be.

When the girls arrived at their table they immediately went for hugging Andrea and Katie. While Quinn went for a talk with Andrea, Rachel and Katie were sitting down.

"You are glowing," Rachel noticed.

Katie blushed. "Jared asked me out."

Since Jared and Katie had been paired up at their _Hello _week Shelby had decided to pair them up permanently. It was obvious that they got along well and their work together really improved Vocal Adrenaline's dancing.

Rachel smiled softly. "That's great. What did you say?"

Katie furrowed her brows and shortly glanced at the boy next to the bar. The look didn't go unnoticed by Rachel who returned Katie's uneasy look with an understanding smile. Katie sighed.

"And you?" She asked. "Anything new?"

Rachel shook her head no. Since her conversation with Quinn everything seemed to get back to normal. She would get over it. But she had to apologize first.

Rachel lowered her head in defeat. "No… But I need to go talk to Jesse…" She grimaced and Katie giggled.

Rachel made her way over to the bar. Luke winked at her supportive and left them alone when she arrived. She swung a leg over the barstool and sat down. She continued to stare ahead stubbornly when she noticed Jesse's quirked brow and laughed.

"I wanted to apologize," Rachel explained.

"Really?" He asked amused.

Rachel nodded. "I have thought about it again and I realized that you didn't deserve this kind of reaction from me."

With a grin on his face and his hands in the air Jesse motioned Rachel to continue. She rolled her eyes.

"You were right, okay? I shouldn't have taken your criticism to heart and I won't do it again. Fingers crossed. From now on I will act completely professional when you're around."

It wasn't a lie. She had decided to ignore her feelings in the future and never let them influence her professionalism again. And if she wasn't calling him out on his sometimes blunt honesty again it was win-win.

Jesse nodded in appreciation. He squeezed her friendly and guided her through the room with an arm around her shoulder.

They reached the table together with Andrea and Quinn.

Quinn raised a brow but Rachel ignored it.

Andrea clapped her hands together excitedly. "I think it's time for the first round. Who goes first?"

She wiggled her brows at Rachel and Jesse and decided it was their turn. Jesse and Rachel shrugged in union.

"Great," Andrea responded. "I'll choose the song."

She disappeared before Rachel could protest. The DJ nodded at her and Andrea waved at her friends.

While Rachel and Jesse made their way to stage, the others sat down to watch them perform. Andrea grinned widely.

With microphones in their hands Rachel and Jesse were waiting for the music to start.

Rachel's mouth dropped open at the sound of the familiar notes.

Jesse laughed quietly. He was shaking his head at the song-choice and sharing an unbelieving yet amused look with Rachel.

Rachel slapped her forehead and glared at Quinn whose face went pale.

**Lucky I'm in love with my best friend **  
**Lucky to have been where I have been **  
**Lucky to be coming home again **

If they were forced into singing a song like this together they would do everything in their power to make fun of it.

**Ooooh, oooh….**

They were moving their heads up and down with the sound and the audience laughed.

**They don't know how long it takes **  
**Waiting for a love like this **  
**Every time we say goodbye **  
**I wish we had one more kiss **  
**I wait for you I promise you I will**

Rachel was swaying to the music as Jesse took over the lyrics.

_**And so I'm sailing through the sea **_  
_**To an island where we'll meet **_

He watched her with an amused glint in his eyes and ran his fingers through her hair.

_**You'll hear the music, fill the air **_  
_**I'll put a flower in your extensions…**_

She started to laugh at his improvisation and forgot that it was her turn to continue. The whole audience joined in the laugh and Rachel noticed that Jesse also had a problem by keeping a straight face. She gave him a small punch on the shoulder and they continued.

**Lucky I'm in love with my best friend **  
**Lucky to have been where I have been **  
**Lucky to be coming home again **  
**Lucky we're in love every way **  
**Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed **  
**Lucky to be coming home someday**

They finished the song and the whole bar applauded. Jesse offered Rachel his hands to climb down the stairs which she thankfully accepted.

They got back to their table and smirked at their friends who just threw back their heads laughing. Rachel was about to give Quinn an _I-told-you_ look but stopped. Quinn burst out crying.

* * *

_Songs:  
**Barbra Steisand**_ **"My Man"**  
_**Jason****_ Mraz and_ Colbie Callait**_ **"Lucky"**

* * *

**First of all: I want to thank everyone that reviewed. It was really great to hear that you like this story :)**

**Secondly: Loved! the finale! I cried so much and then there was St Berry and I got all these feels... 6x11 and 6x13 will always make me smile and I'm going to re-watch them and everything until I die. They just give me so much hope for everything. **

**I really hope Jon is able to join Lea at at least one episode of Scream Queens. That would be freaking awesome.**

* * *

**Hope that you like the chapter! Please review :)  
**

* * *

**March 26, 2015.  
**

**Jon Groff x3 Jon Groff x3 Jon Groff**


	25. Favors

**It's been exactly one year since I've posted the prologue.**  
**Happy anniversary!**

* * *

_Favors_

At the sudden ring of his mobile phone Jesse jumped awake. He blinked a few times trying to decipher the red numbers on his alarm-clock. It was way too early. The kind of early in which you just fell asleep like an hour ago and didn't want to be waked up because you just got home from rehearsal.

Jesse grabbed his phone blindly. He didn't even make an effort to watch the name on screen because he would surely doom everyone who dared to call him at this hour.

"Hello?" He asked groggily.

"Jesse, honey. I just wanted to remind you of grandma's birthday next weekend. You promised to come!"

"Mom?" Jesse groaned.

"As far as I can remember… I may be wrong, though." He heard a small giggle on the other side of the line. He rolled his eyes. "Where are you with your head today?"

Jesse let himself fall back into the pillows. "In bed…"

"Huh?"

He put one over his face hoping he would pass out and get back to sleep again. "Mom: the time-difference?" He sighed in exhaustion.

Jesse heard his mother gasp. "I'm so sorry, Jesse. Seems like I've been traveling around a bit too long now. I forgot."

Jesse hummed an agreement. "I figured." He was going to end the call when his mother spoke up again.

"And?" She pressed.

"And what?"

"The birthday party? You can bring your girlfriend. I'd like to meet her."

At the near mention of the word _girlfriend _Jesse jumped again. "What girlfriend?"

"_Rachel_, if I remember correctly. I tried to invite Luke as well but he can't make it. He told me about her. It's a shame through that you haven't told me yourself."

Jesse groaned again. "_No_. No, no, no, _no_. Rachel's not my girlfriend. She's Vocal Adrenaline's female lead. You must have confused things."

"Even better," his mother replied in a demanding tone and Jesse knew he couldn't talk Rachel out of this. If his mother wanted something she would get it. No exception.

"Can we please talk about this later? I can't think straight right now."

"I expect you to come."

Jesse nodded and the line went dead.

He turned around trying to get back to his desperately needed sleep but something stopped him. He suddenly remembered his conversation with Rachel the day before and the stupid favor she had asked him for. Her eyes had watered up and she had pouted in an attempt to convince him. He had never seen such a convincible show face in a situation like this before. He had patted her shoulder as a sign of respect before he had nicely told her _no._

He reached for his phone and sent a message.

Maybe now she needed to do him a favor herself.

* * *

Quinn had already tried to assure Rachel for a week that she was doing fine after her sudden break-up with Sam but Rachel always seemed to question her emotional state of mind.

Only a few hours ago Rachel had talked Quinn into joining her at church service promising that she would stop worrying about her. Right now she was sitting in the main sanctuary of one of Ohio's only synagogues all by herself. Rachel had disappeared a few moments ago after catching sight of an unread text message.

Quinn sighed. She didn't know how she had ended here as a believing Christ but something seemed to have gone wrong. The situation was almost bizarre considering Quinn had been dumped and not Rachel. Ever since Rachel's revelation Quinn had tried to talk with her but Rachel always seemed to be busy with something else. Vocal Adrenaline was working non-stop. And that included hours of rehearsals for either Regionals or _Funny Girl. _

Quinn almost admired Rachel's persistence to keep it professional. She was always doing something with Jesse. They were paired up for every performance and every school assignment which included working at home until late hours. More than once Quinn had caught a sleeping Rachel in front of the TV leaning against Jesse's shoulder. They were cute. And so damn stupid. Maybe Rachel needed the distraction.

Quinn started thinking about methods to get these two together when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Is this seat taken?"

Quinn looked up to a boy her age. He was wearing a kippah and the sharp lines of his face looked kind of familiar. She couldn't right place him but she shook her head. She had no idea when Rachel would return.

The boy sat down and sighed. "Damn, I thought I'd never find a place to sit."

Quinn furrowed her brows and took a look through the rows of the main sanctuary. She noticed an older couple and a woman not that much older than her. They had just ended their prayer and started to chat quietly. But other than that, the synagogue was empty.

Quinn nodded in agreement. "Because there are so _many _people here." She clicked her tongue. "It's really crowded."

The boy laughed. "I already guessed that her sarcasm was going to rub off on you."

Quinn raised a brow at the boy beside her. There was only one girl whose sarcasm could have rubbed off on her and this girl had left her alone good 10 minutes ago.

"Rachel?" Quinn replied questioningly.

The boy nodded and smiled at Quinn's clueless expression. He was going to take his kippah off when Rachel suddenly returned.

She shot him an asking look. "Noah?"

Quinn's eyes widened. Shouldn't she have recognized him? Even with the kippah on his head? Something seemed odd at his appearance and as he took of his kippah, Quinn understood. His mohawk was gone.

Rachel's mouth dropped open but before she was able to ask Puck went to explain.

"My mom found a mole on my head when she was washing my hair on Friday. She started crying about sun block and how she's always telling me to wear a hat when I'm cleaning pools. So, she made me go see Dr. Friendlander, the dermatologist. He said he had to shave the head to get a closer look at it." He grimaced.

The girls raised their brows in interest. He laughed dryly.

"It was nothing—they maimed me over a freaking freckle! I feel like that guy that lost all his hair, then lost all his strength. This morning, people actually had the balls to look me in the eye."

Puck sighed deeply. "I need to switch schools."

Rachel couldn't suppress a laugh and the other church attendees threw them disapproving glances.

"You're still Puckasaurus," Rachel explained.

Quinn nodded supportive. "I mean, it's just a Mohawk, right?"

For a short moment Puck's hand wandered to his head. He stopped abruptly.

"_Just a Mohawk_…" He muttered quietly.

"I think it suits you," Quinn threw in. "I mean, it's not as intimidating, but you are still the same person, right? And it looks really good on you."

Puck titled his head and stared at Rachel's big sister in astonishment.

Rachel cleared her throat. "I think Quinn is right, Noah. You shouldn't worry about you hair that much." She chuckled. "It's a girls' thing to do. And I'm positive that that would be even worse for you."

His eyes widened as he shuddered at the thought.

"Well," Rachel continued. "It was nice seeing you, but Quinn and I have to go."

"Really?" Quinn asked. She had been desperate to leave since she had entered the building but now… She threw an apologetic look at Puck.

He nodded in understanding and took leave with a last glance at the Blonde.

Rachel pulled Quinn by her arm and walked her out of the synagogue. When they stepped over the doorsill Rachel stopped and turned around with a big smile.

"I've got some great news."

* * *

"Where are we driving?" Quinn questioned. She watched the landscape as they drove by and wondered if Rachel was driving her back to Lima.

"I bring you home, Quinn."

The girl blinked confused. "And why is that so?"

"You need to change clothes," Rachel explained.

"And I need to change clothes because…?"

Rachel smiled broadly. "I've organized you a date."

"_Rachel_," Quinn groaned. "Please tell me you're kidding."

Rachel stopped the car at a red traffic light and turned her head to give her sister a serious look. "You told me you were over Sam," Rachel replied reproachfully.

Quinn nodded in annoyance. "I am."

"Great. What a wonderful way of confirming me that by going out on the date. You know, I've been worrying all week."

Quinn noticed the further sound of reproach in Rachel's voice and sighed in defeat. Rachel had really been there for her every single day since the break-up (even if Quinn had _repeatedly _told her that she didn't need to be taken care of because she was already a big girl).

"Alright," Quinn agreed reluctant.

If the boy was anything like Puck she would surely have a night of fun. She couldn't imagine that one date could really be that bad. And she was going to end Rachel's worry at the end of the night and that was all that she wanted right now.

"So who's the lucky one?"

* * *

Quinn was staring at the boy on the other side of the table with a disapproving look. She shook her head in disbelief and made a mental note to never agree to something like this ever again. Rachel couldn't be serious. They definitely needed to talk about this again.

"I can't believe that you actually agreed to this."

"Oh, believe me," Jesse remarked. "This favor won't stay one-sided…"

Quinn quirked a brow. "Well, if you finally decided to make a move on her and try to make her jealous with me I'm fully on board." She wiggled her brows. Maybe this evening was really leading to something.

Jesse raised his view from the menu and furrowed his brows. "What?"

Quinn sighed. "Nothing."

Jesse nodded and turned his attention back to the menu again. "Why is that place called _Breadstix _again?"

Quinn pointed to a glass with breadsticks in it.

"Ah. Very creative."

Quinn rolled her eyes. If the evening was going to continue like that she would have rather stayed home to watch a movie or something. She still couldn't believe that Rachel had tricked her into this. What was wrong with her?

"So…" Quinn started. She hadn't pegged Jesse for the quiet kind because he always seemed to have something to talk about when he was with Rachel. Maybe there was the problem, Quinn realized for a second time this day. "Since I'm only a favor for you," Quinn continued theatricality, "I want to know what all that's about."

Jesse shrugged.

"Really?"

He laid the menu aside and looked at Quinn with a small twitch on his mouth.

"I got a phone call this morning," Jesse went to explain. "My dear mother called me to remind me of my grandmother's birthday next weekend and that I promised to come."

Quinn nodded eagerly for him to continue. He laughed quietly.

"And Luke had the brilliant idea of telling her about Rachel."

Quinn grinned widely. If she had thought that this evening was going to get boring she had thought wrong. If this was going to lead in the kind of direction she had hoped she would have the funniest night of her life.

"My mom wants to meet her. She had always taken an interest to the leading ladies in my life… Don't ask why."

"Leading lady?" Quinn asked insinuatingly.

Jesse sighed. "Please don't you start with that, too."

Quinn titled her head. She wondered if Jesse could actually be as blind as he pretended to be when she watched something in his eyes struggle.

"There is something going on between you," Quinn stated. She wanted to know if his reaction would be any comparable to Rachel's but he covered it with a smirk.

"Quinn…"

"I really don't get why you are acting like this. Both of you. And you are way worse than Rachel. I at least got a reaction out of her."

He raised a brow. "Really?"

"Oh, no. Don't you act like that. I'm not going to tell you."

"She surely declared her undying love for me, right?"

Quinn's mouth dropped open. "You have no right to make fun of this. You're clearly perfect for each other!"

"Quinn," Jesse repeated patiently. "We are just friends," he explained with a shrug.

Quinn gave a disbelieving nod at his implausible explanation.

"I'm not going to talk about this with you. It's complicated."

Quinn raised her finger in the air. "Aha. So you do admit that there's something?"

"I'm not. And this conversation is official over."

"One last question," Quinn pleaded.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes?"

"Where will you take her for the birthday?"

* * *

Quinn entered the house later than expected. She tried to sneak through the corridor on her toes when she heard the sound of the TV in the living room.

She stuck her head through the door and spotted Rachel's sleeping figure on the couch. She walked quietly over to her and listened to her steady breaths. Her left arm hung down the couch with the remote in her hand. Quinn turned off the TV and covered Rachel with a blanket.

Rachel opened her eyes and blinked. She took a look at the clock on the door and rubbed her eyes.

"It's pretty late," she stated emotionless. "Didn't think you two would take so long."

Quinn could tell that it hurt Rachel's unresolved feelings that she had actually gone out with Jesse and that it had taken so long. But it had been Rachel's idea in the first place. Quinn needed to do something about it.

"Yeah," Quinn replied dreamingly. "It was a great date, Rachel. Thanks for setting it up."

Rachel blinked again. She knew that Quinn knew about her feelings but she hadn't thought that Quinn was going to ignore them so cruely.

"That's great," Rachel answered bitter.

"And now I know why you didn't want to share him with Giselle. He is an amazing kisser."

Rachel gulped.

"You two haven't kissed, yet," Quinn concluded.

Rachel turned around facing the backrest of the couch and pulling the blanket over her head.

Quinn was staring at her sister in regret. She had thought that they were at least acting as a couple on stage- as Nick and Fanny- and that they had already loosened some of their sexual tension there.

"We didn't kiss," Quinn whispered.

"He was only talking about you all night."

* * *

**March 28, 2015.  
**


	26. Journey

**Happy Mother's Day :) **

* * *

_Journey_

Quinn watched the boy as he got out of his car and closed the door behind. He pressed the button on his key and the lights of the Range Rover blinked twice. The sun was shining down on him and as he raised his view to the window Quinn was standing behind he raised his hand to his face. He closed his eyes for a moment and blinked trying to get used to the bright light. His shoulders were tensed and he exhaled deeply. Then he murmured something to himself and crossed the street.

Quinn opened the door before Jesse had raised his hand to ring the bell. Her face read relief and she immediately turned around walking up the stairs again. Jesse raised a brow questioningly and followed her just a second later. He watched the walls of the familiar house again and furrowed his brows. Just like he had guessed.

Jesse took the last stair and followed Quinn down the hallway. There was a big gold star marking Rachel's door which Quinn stopped in front of. He joined her a moment later.

"What's the matter?"

"Stuff's got a little messy in there."

"Messy?" Jesse squinted his eyes together. "Rachel's one of the most organized people I know."

Quinn nodded in agreement. "That was before you told her about dinner with your family."

"She knew about that. That was after all the reason for me to agree to our date."

Quinn quirked a brow at him. "But you only told her yesterday about the extent of it. She still tries not to freak out about it."

Jesse titled his head as he watched Rachel's sister. "Are you sure we are talking about the same person?"

Quinn smirked. "Positive. And thanks for mentioning our little date again. It always makes me feel so special when I get reminded that it was a part of your little agreement with Rachel. Really."

Jesse sighed. "You know it never was supposed to be that kind of a date, right? Rachel just wanted to distract you and I was the nearest option."

"Oh? Well, I didn't know about the detail that you two had already discussed the meaning of it. Well, that makes of course a lot more sense."

Quinn gave him a smug grin. He rolled his eyes and stared at the door right in front of him.

"I neither have the power nor the will to discuss with you again."

Quinn watched Jesse's profile another moment and turned her head to the door.

"That's a shame."

They stayed silent both staring at the bright star at the door.

"Are we going to wait here all day? Because there's like a flight to catch..."

Quinn smiled sweetly at him.

"Please," she replied motioning him to go first.

He shook his head in amusement and reached for the door knob. Quinn shot him a knowing look when he opened the door and his eyes widened.

* * *

Kurt came down the stairs and joined Jesse at the opposite couch. He leaned back, closed his eyes and sighed in relief.

"She should be down in a minute."

Jesse nodded.

"You really should have told her about the extent of your grandmother's birthday. We wouldn't have needed to throw her complete wardrobe over in that short time."

"I don't know what could have been wrong with her wardrobe in the first place"

"The animal sweaters?"

"I'm sure Rachel wouldn't have worn them at dinner."

Kurt raised a brow at Jesse. He had put his words into a tone like he didn't mind Rachel's fondness of hideous clothes. When Jesse noticed the boy's look he furrowed his brows. "What?"

"Nothing."

Jesse squinted his eyes together. He tried to range the thoughtful look the boy on the other couch was giving him when he heard steps from above. He rose from his seat. He only understood what impression this had made when he noticed the admiration in Kurt's eyes. Jesse walked into the kitchen and grabbed himself a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Do you want some?" He asked Kurt.

"I'm fine," he replied.

Jesse opened the bottle and took a sip leaning himself on the doorway between the hallway and the living room.

"Good that I came early, though. Things can get complicated with her."

Kurt nodded. Jesse saw that the corners of his mouth were rising up and he closed his eyes in almost annoyance.

Why had he the feeling that all of their friends saw Rachel and him as a couple lately?

The room fell into silence when they heard quiet scraps of conversation.

Quinn joined the boys a moment later and shared a knowing look with Kurt. They smiled proudly and Rachel walked down the stairs.

* * *

She looked beautiful. Words couldn't even describe how gorgeous and mature she looked since the moment she had joined the others in the hallway. Only a few moments ago he had taken in every little detail of her appearance with pleasure and now she was sitting next to Jesse in his car.

"You need to change."

Her head turned around sharply and she stared at him, her mouth agape.

"What do you mean with _You need to change_? _Why_ do I need to change?!"

Her voice had gotten more hysterically with every word. Rachel turned around again and stared out of the passenger window. She couldn't believe that Jesse didn't like her outfit and the way she looked and demanded to change clothes. She had made such an effort to choose the right ones and now Jesse was hurting her with his words. Tears started to form in her eyes that she tried to blink away.

She watched herself in the side mirror and swallowed. She knew she shouldn't have let herself fall in love with him. She had turned into a girl that took the words of the boy she liked way too much to heart even if she had promised herself that she wasn't going to let that happen again. She wasn't sad. She was angry. She stared into her own eyes and observed herself for a moment later. She laughed soundlessly. Why hadn't she noticed before that she had chosen the dress with the others because it was matching Jesse's eyes so well? She was stupid. Her fingers wandered to her ribcage and she unzipped her beautiful blue dress recklessly.

Jesse heard her dress ripping and took a deep breath. His head was turning back and forth between the road and the girl that undressed herself in his car. She turned the upper part of her dress down and crossed her arms over her corsage. She was straight staring ahead on the road with a sour look around her mouth.

"You ripped your dress," Jesse simply stated.

Rachel continued to stare ahead and ignored him. Why did she always had to fall for the asshole?

"I'm not sure if you've noticed but there are other drivers who certainly enjoy what they see. And that would be you half naked on my passenger seat."

She glared at him.

"Well, let them enjoy what they see because some people don't seem to appreciate the effort I made."

Jesse sighed. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Oh, really? Because everything that's leaving your mouth lately is some kind of criticism. And you know what? I'm tired of it. Please take the next exit and let me leave. I sure don't want to drive with you anywhere anymore."

Rachel saw Jesse hesitating. But then he drove on the next parking lot of a gas station. He turned off the engine and got out of the car without another word. Rachel heard him open the trunk and she unbuckled her seat belt. She wondered if she had made a mistake by letting him get the worst out of her. She shook her head. No. Even if her feelings for him went deeper he had no right to hurt her like this. She wanted to get back home.

Rachel adjusted her dress before getting out of the car. She leaned herself against it, her eyes closed, waiting for Jesse to give her her luggage. It took another moment before she heard him close the trunk. He went around the car and stopped in front of her.

Rachel peeked through an eye searching for her suitcase but he was only holding out some clothes to her.

"What? Do you expect me to go home without my clothes?"

"I just want you to change, okay? I'm going to explain it to you once you're ready but please, Rachel, don't discuss with me this time."

Rachel stared at the clothes Jesse was trying to thrust into her hands and she furrowed her brows. She gave him a dirty look but decided that she wanted to hear what that all was about. She raised a brow. "Tell me now."

Jesse sighed but went to explain. He told her that she needed to change if she wanted to feel any comfortable during their two flights. They weren't only flying over to JFK but had another connection flight to Europe to catch. "I had nothing against that dress before you ripped it, okay? You looked really beautiful but I guarantee you that it wouldn't have been exactly comfortable after wearing it for more than eight hours."

Rachel was about to ask where exactly they were heading to after hearing his comment about Europe but she was too hung up on his words that she looked beautiful.

She grabbed the clothes out of his hands and headed towards the restroom of the gas station.

* * *

Their flight to Germany was starting soon and they were already waiting for the plane to take off. Rachel was wearing oversized sweatpants and a shirt from Jesse that she had already started to be thankful for after flying to New York. Now she agreed that her dress wouldn't have been suitable and she regretted that she had ripped it so recklessly because she had gotten mad without reason.

The pilot announced that they were taking off any moment and the stewardesses reminded them to fasten their seat belts. The plane started moving and once again Rachel noticed the tension in Jesse's body language. She grabbed his hand impulsively in order to distract him. He looked surprised but squeezed her hand.

Rachel fell asleep in the middle of the route and Jesse asked a stewardess for a blanket. She gave him a small smile and returned with it a few minutes later. Jesse whispered a thanks and covered Rachel carefully trying not to wake her up.

He leaned back in his seat and watched the sleeping girl on his side when someone cleared his throat. An old woman with white hair was smiling at him and he returned the gesture friendly.

"You've got yourself a wonderful girlfriend there," she whispered. Jesse noticed an old man on her shoulder and assumed that he was her husband. "It's cute how much you care for each other."

"Oh no. We are not a couple."

The woman raised a disbelieving brow at him and Jesse blinked. She looked like she wanted to say something more but she just shrugged and turned around again.

Jesse's view drifted to Rachel again. He was wearing a look of confusion on his face suddenly being reminded of Kurt's reaction earlier.

He was trying hard to suppress a yawn but he couldn't stop it to leave his mouth. He was grabbing himself a part of Rachel's blanket and closed his eyes before falling asleep.

* * *

The hotel they were staying in was beyond fancy. The St. James' family had spared no expense and Rachel's view was drifting through the foyer with a look of amazement. Jesse was telling her to meet her at the bar before disappearing into the direction of the restroom.

Rachel was ordering herself an orange juice and the bartender shot her an irritated look after noticing her choice of clothes. Rachel's face was heating up in embarrassment when someone slit down on the bar chair next to her.

"It's not usual that pretty girls like you show up at the bar in sweatpants." A boy not much older than Jesse flashed Rachel a smile. "You need to excuse Alex' behavior," he added pointing to the bartender. "He isn't used to such a sight. Not that it isn't a welcome change."

Rachel giggled and buried her face in her hands. "I didn't have the time to change yet. I just arrived here a few minutes ago and my company disappeared to the restroom."

The boy nodded and held out his hand. "Sebastian Smythe."

Rachel nodded. "Rachel Berry."

They started chatting with each other before Alex returned with her freshly squeezed orange juice. Rachel took a sip and sighed. "This is so good!"

Sebastian laughed and leaned in "Just wait until you taste the food," he whispered in her ear. His hot breath was making her skin tingle and Rachel shuddered. She quirked a brow at him, actually wondering why a good looking guy like him was flirting with a girl like her. She was wearing sweatpants for crying out loud.

His blue eyes were dancing in amusement and Rachel blinked at the familiar expression.

On the other side of the foyer Jesse felt a sting of jealousy. He clenched his jaw before exhaling deeply and making his way over to the bar. Jesse was giving the boy a hard clap on his back after recognizing his face and Sebastian choked on his drink.

"Bash, don't you think it's a little early to annoy the female guests in this hotel?"

Rachel was looking back and forth between the boys as Sebastian embraced him.

"I told you not to call me Bash. You know I hate it."

Jesse laughed. "One more reason to do it big brother."

Rachel's mouth dropped open before she regained her posture and closed it again.

"I knew something about you seemed familiar. You both have that huge ego." Rachel shook her head and threw her hands in the air. "Not to mention that you do look like brothers."

Sebastian furrowed his brows. "Excuse me?"

"Bash," Jesse went to explain with his hands on his brother's shoulders, "I see that you've already met Vocal Adrenaline's female lead."

Sebastian's eyes widened as realization hit him. "Oh. Oh!" He turned around to his brother and gave him an apologizing smile before observing Rachel's clothes again. "Mom told me about her," he continued with a wink.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Forget everything she might have said. She is imagining things."

"Are you sure?" Sebastian replied, wiggling his brows.

Jesse sighed and turned back to Rachel. "I'm sorry that you had to keep up with him during my absence."

"Hey—"

"I'm just quickly going to check in." He pointed his finger at Bash. "Don't…." He shook his head. "Just don't."

Jesse was about to leave but Sebastian pushed him aside and went to the reception adopting Jesse's plan. Jesse shook his head and sighed loudly before sliding onto the bar chair on Rachel's other side. They both continued to watch the boy and he was giving them a thumbs up.

"Why did he introduce himself as Sebastian _Smythe_?"

"Some stupid idea of him. He thought it was more remarkable than Sebastian St. James and he somehow made his college agree with it after mentioning Katy Perry and others."

"Mh."

Sebastian was soon returning with a concierge that grabbed Rachel and Jesse's suitcases. They were both about to protest but Bash leaded them towards the exit, his arms around them, telling them something about a concert that they were still properly dressed for. Rachel shot Jesse an irritated look over Sebastian's shoulder but he only shrugged.

* * *

Sebastian pressed the button with the highest number in the elevator and the lift started moving upwards. Rachel was humming a song from the concert and Sebastian noticed the caring look on Jesse's face. He chuckled quietly.

The door was opening with a _ping _and Sebastian pushed them out of the lift. He was leading the way through the hallway telling them where his room was before grabbing another key out of his pocket. He described them the way to their hotel room before he gave Jesse the key with a smirk and disappeared in the other direction.

Jesse followed his brother's instructions and opened the door to their hotel room a moment later. He clicked his tongue.

"I should have expected it," Jesse stated cynical.

"What?" Rachel asked concerned.

Jesse continued to block the door as he turned around. "You are not going to like it."

Rachel rolled her eyes and pushed Jesse aside. She entered the room and immediately admired the classic furniture. The view was amazing and Rachel went to the bed looking out of the window.

"What?" She repeated as she watched Jesse still standing in the doorway.

"Just wait a second."

Rachel squinted her eyes together and let her view drift through the room again. The bedlinen under her fingers were silk and soft and Rachel's head snapped up.

"No."

Jesse clicked his tongue again.

"There's only one bed," Rachel pointed out.

Jesse shrugged.

"I'm so going to kill your brother."

Jesse gave her a weak smile and closed the door behind.

* * *

Rachel and Jesse were unpacking their suitcases and trying to decide what they were going to do in the given situation. Jesse immediately offered to sleep on the couch and Rachel gave him a thankful smile.

Jesse disappeared into the bathroom, going for a shower and once the door was locked Rachel changed into her pyjamas. She was braiding her hair and undoing her make-up in front of the mirror that was hanging above the dresser next to the bathroom door. The small light on the nightstand was shining and Rachel walked to the hotel door switching the room light off. She collapsed onto bed all exhausted and groaned into the pillow. She supported her arms on the mattress and watched the couch with an uneasy face. Rachel heard the shower stop and she bit her lip.

Jesse was leaving the bathroom a moment later. He was wearing a long pyjama pants and a white shirt. He was drying his hair with a towel and yawned before walking to the couch. Rachel's voice interrupted him.

"Okay, you know what? I'm tired as hell. You're tired as hell. And this bed is big enough for both of us."

Jesse stared at her. "It's fine. Really."

"It's not. We both need a real bed to sleep in and I don't want to wake up with a bad coincidence because you couldn't fall asleep on this thing. As comfortable as it looks… It isn't made for sleeping on."

"Rachel…"

"Don't make more out of it than it is." Rachel folded the blanket back. "Please."

He was watching her for another moment but the stubborn expression on her face let him sigh. He was walking towards the bed but hesitated. "Are you sure—"

"Jesse," Rachel said in a warning tone at which he got quickly into the bed.

They were lying next to each other both at the outer part of their side and staring at the ceiling.

"When does your grandmother's party start tomorrow?"

"Around seven."

Rachel nodded.

"I'm so going to kill Bash for this," Jesse stated a moment later.

Rachel laughed.

"Goodnight, Jesse."

"Goodnight, Rachel."

* * *

**Awww, this was so cute. (To me at least :))**

**I'm sorry for the long delay. When Rachel started crying in the car I wasn't sure if that was the right reaction. But once I understood that she isn't the only one that starts crying when she's angry I accepted it and could continue. I just should trust whatever they make me write.**

**Nonetheless a huge thanks to all of you who are still patiently waiting and continuing with this story. Thanks for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting. You are the best!  
**

**PS: I'm really trying to use American English but seriously, pajamas? How stupid is that? I stay by my pyjamas :)**

**xxx**

**May 10, 2015.**


	27. Holidays

_ Holidays_

The hollow sound of footsteps grows louder with every step they take closer into their direction but then they suddenly disappear again. Rachel sighs in relief.

"What did you do?"

Rachel flinches. Jesse is standing only a few feet away, breathing the same stale air that she is after accidentally dragging him along into this- Rachel scans her surroundings- broom closet. She suppresses the feeling to roll her eyes and sighs, before she turns her head back to Jesse again.

"What do you mean with _What did you do?_? I didn't do anything," she replies throwing her hands in the air.

Jesse quirks a brow. "Are you sure? Because that," he says pointing to the door, "didn't sound like nothing at all. And you are most likely the one getting us into trouble, aren't you?"

Rachel blinks. She stares at him in disbelief, her mouth slowly opening, ready to throw the next insult at him that comes to her mind. Instead she bites her tongue and glares at him.

"What? You seriously can't blame that on me."

"How would you know? Just because she screamed my name it doesn't mean that whatever she is angry about is my fault!"

Jesse frowns. Rachel starts tapping her foot on the dusty ground when his face suddenly brightens up the darkness around them.

"I got it. Now that you keep me hostage here and she can't find me, she must think that you have killed me." He places his hand over his heart and shakes his head in disappointment.

Rachel can only stare at him. She has a hard time trying to suppress a laughter, and the more she tries the harder it is getting to keep a straight face. Jesse furrows his brows at the unusual silence and when he decides to raise his head again he knows he has interpreted the silence right. Rachel is looking at him with wide eyes, her cheeks flushed and a hand covering the lower part of her face. Jesse titles his head and studies her for a moment before his lips turn into an amused smile. She almost looks beautiful.

"I can't believe that you're laughing about this!"

Rachel clears her throat. "I'm not."

Jesse nods knowingly. "Wow. I need to get into the next witness-protection-program…" He answers dryly.

Rachel snorts with laughter.

"I'm serious," Jesse repeats laughing but Rachel only waves his response aside. She shoves him against the wall and the mob to his right falls to the ground.

"Shut up!"

Jesse raises a challenging brow at Rachel.

"Make me."

Rachel's eyes wanders to the sink in the corner but before she is able to reach out for the water hose, Jesse blocks her way with a swift move and presses her against a shelf. The little hitch of surprise in her voice makes him grin. Jesse brushes a strand of hair behind her ear and Rachel's heart starts to race. His mouth wanders to her ear and she can feel his hot breath on her neck when he quietly whispers, "Try that ever again..."

Maybe it is the thread or the sudden smell of perfume and their closeness that makes them lock their gazes. Blue eyes are boring into brown and it only takes a second before they are hungrily pressing their lips against each other in the darkness.

Rachel curls her fingers in Jesse's hair and he groans. His hands wander down her back and he lifts her up, her legs wrapped around him. He places her down on the sink and starts kissing her throat, and Rachel moans. She is pressing her legs together tightly and pulling Jesse closer, before she starts unbuttoning his shirt. Jesse smiles into the kiss and he cups Rachel's face in his hands before stormingly kissing her again. His tongue slides into her mouth and they immediately start fighting a battle with each other. Jesse unzips Rachel's dress in a hurry and her fingernails scratch the bare skin of his toned chest. He closes his eyes and groans. Rachel pulls at his hair and Jesse slams her body against the wall. She moans into his mouth and the shelf next to them starts shaking. A bottle of cleaning agent hits the ground.

And a pair of eyes shot open.

* * *

Rachel felt a painful sting in her right knee and unhappily decided that it was time to step from the cross-trainer again. Ignoring the sudden pain, Rachel's legs were shaking for a moment when her feet touched the floor of the hotel's own gym room. She grabbed her towel from the arm rest of the machine and made her way over to the dressing room before throwing a last dirty look at it. This thing wasn't joint-friendly at all.

She was angrily pushing her iPod in the little bag that she had brought down here when her phone started ringing. Briefly throwing a look at the screen Rachel answered the call immediately.

"You know it's only 6 AM here, right?"

"I'd hoped that were already up," Katie replied with a caressing voice. "But tell me why you aren't suffering from jet-lag? You're like the only person I know that still manages to keep their schedule up when their more than 4,000 miles away."

Rachel snorted. "I just couldn't sleep anymore."

Katie hummed in understanding.

"So," Rachel continued. "Tell me what is on your mind so late at night, that you extra wait for me to get up until you call me..."

"I even waited half an hour because I wasn't sure if I'd wake you."

"Very deliberate from you but back to the point."

Katie sighed. "It's nothing. Just forget it again."

Rachel nodded at her phone. "You're keeping me from getting back to sleep because of nothing? Yeah, right. That totally sounds like the Katie I know."

"Oh. I didn't want to stop you from getting some rest. I mean the flight has been long."

"It's fine." Rachel replied with a sigh. "It's not like there's any place left in my bed anyway-" she explained before biting her tongue. That was definitely nothing to talk about.

"What do you mean? Who's in your bed?" Katie's voice was piercing through Rachel's ears and she flinched. She started imagining how Katie was wiggling her brows at the other end of the line and sighed.

"You tell me what happened last night and I tell you who's lying in my bed, deal?"

"Is it Jesse?"

Rachel groaned.

Katie pouted. "Okay, but you'll go first."

"I wasn't the one to call my best friend late in the night..."

"Fine," Katie said before taking a deep breath. " Tonight I found Luke waiting at our front door and he was waiting for _Bev. _Do you need any more information?"

"Bev?" Rachel repeated in disbelief. "Like in your step-sister _Bev_? How do they even know each other?"

"No idea," Katie answered with a shrug. "And now my mood's a little down if you know what I mean."

Rachel nodded. "I feel you."

Katie cleared her throat. "And you? Who's that mysterious boy in your bed?"

"Who said it was a boy?" Rachel responded mysteriously. She swung her bag over her shoulder and walked towards the elevators, waiting for any reaction from Katie and an elevator-door to open, after gently pressing the upwards button. But Katie was only narrowing her eyes at the phone until Rachel laughed. "Okay, just kidding. You were right, it's Jesse."

"OMG. How did _that _happen? I want to know every dirty detail."

Rachel sighed. "Jesse's brother organized us a suite with one bed for both of us, we were really tired after the flight and I had a bad conscience knowing that Jesse was going to sleep on the couch. So we shared the bed. That's it."

"That's it? You're so boring."

With a quiet _ping _the doors in front of Rachel opened and she disappeared into an elevator, rolling her eyes and shaking her head in amusement.

* * *

The loud and repeated knock on the door of their suite made Jesse flinch. He yawned loudly and took a look at the clock before burying his head under his pillow again and groaning louder. He had known that Rachel was an early riser but forgetting her key and waking him seemed like pure torture to him. He took a look from underneath the pillow and watched the door, waiting for the next knock. There. It was loud and definitely not the knock of a girl that barely even reached 5'2''. But who could it be? Who was actually daring to wake him at half past six? Jesse groaned again.

„I know that I already woke you up, so get your ass up and answer this damn door, Jesse," Sebastian called through the door.

„Go away!"

„Ah, so I'm right," he noticed satisfied. „Good, that leaves you two options. Either you are going to open this door before I've finished talking or I'm coming in with this monkey wrench that I found at the reception last night and find you two in a hopefully very compressing position." Sebastian chuckled. „I'm sure Mom would like to hear about this, too."

Jesse opened the door only a bit and shot his brother a dirty look.

„Good choice," Sebastian decided with a wink. He pushed himself past Jesse and walked into the room before turning back around to him with a disappointed look on his face. „Where did you hide her?"

Jesse growled, rubbing his tired eyes.

Sebastian gave him a suspicious look and made his way through the room. „I can see that both of you slept in this bed," he mumbled. He was throwing a blanket aside and kneeling down to take a look under the bed.

„What is he looking for?" Rachel asked after entering the room quietly. She took an interested look around the bed, Sebastian bobbed his head at her sight and groaned in pain.

Jesse shrugged. „His intelligence, probably."

„Where have you been? I've been searching everywhere for you," Sebastian whined.

„You've been searching for me under the bed? Very thoroughly, especially since it's only one bed in this suite..." Rachel raised her brows at him but he pretended to look anywhere but her. She threw a glance at Jesse who only shrugged and Rachel shook her head in annoyance. „And to answer your question where I've been," Rachel explained looking down on her sports-dress. Sebastian followed her view and nodded slowly before giving her a wide grin. „Oh."

Rachel sighed. „If you don't mind I'm going to take a shower now."

She placed her belongings on the couch and grabbed a towel before heading to the bathroom. Sebastian's mouth opened in protest when Rachel raised her finger at him. „Oh, and before I forget it," she said motioning around the room. „When I come out of this room again I don't want to see you until I get my own bed. Got it?"

Sebastian nodded.

„Good," Rachel replied with a smile. „If you'll excuse me," she added before closing the bathroom door behind and locking it.

„Your girlfriend's intimidating."

„She's _not-_"

Sebastian raised a disbelieving brow at his brother and sighed. „If you'll excuse _me_ now... I'll have to get you two another room. We'll talk at breakfast."

Sebastian disappeared through the door, his shoulders hanging down and wearing a clearly unexpected expression of defeat on his face.

* * *

Rachel grinned widely. They were sitting in a train to Dortmund after unanimously agreeing to visit the city's Christmas market and Rachel was excited to see the world's largest Christmas tree. It was supposed to reach 145 feet, made up of 1,700 individual spruce trees piled one atop the other and lip up with thousands of lights and candles.

On their 75 minutes long ride, Rachel already planned to buy plenty of Christmas gifts for her family and friends, even if she wouldn't celebrate the holiday at home. Her camera was fully charged, and Rachel was watching the landscape passing by with a feeling of fascination. She was looking back and forth between her brochure of showplaces in the Ruhr and the view behind her window, with sparkle in her eyes.

Taking in every little detail of the given information, Rachel thumbed through the pages, not noticing that they were nearly reaching their destination, when they were driving through a city called Bochum. Rachel was turning the pages and suddenly her eyes lit up. She raised her head at her two companions and found Jesse sleeping.

When her eyes drifted to the elder brother she quickly tried to hide her disappointment. Sebastian furrowed his brows at Rachel's expression and when his view followed the way to the brochure in her hand, he was giving her an encouraging smile.

"Did you know that it's already been here for 22 years already?"

"I can read, Sebastian." The corners of Rachel's mouth turned up. "But thank you," she whispered with an honest smile.

* * *

_Can't go a minute without your love  
Like a satellite I'm In an orbit all the way around you_

Humming one of the songs from the concert the day before,Rachel disappeared into one of the booths, watching for souvenirs when Sebastian gave Jesse a slap on the back on his head. He opened his mouth, ready to ask what he had earned that for, but Bash was already shaking his head at him. Jesse titled his head in confusion when the twitch of his brother's head pointed into the direction Rachel had disappeared into.

"What have I done this time?"

Sebastian stared at his brother, before he decided to slap him again.

Jesse winced. "Are you serious?"

Sebastian sighed. "I can't believe you are so ignorant. You do know where we are, right? And where we've driven past?"

Jesse nodded wryly. "Y e s."

"You-" Sebastian started when Rachel suddenly returned. She was holding a stick with chocolate strawberries and smiled widely "I couldn't resist."

Sebastian chuckled. He was waiting for the reaction of his brother but Jesse said nothing. Instead his view was straight directed to the strawberry at Rachel's lips. Rachel turned around again, leading the way and with a last slap on Jesse's head, the brothers followed.

* * *

After spending almost the whole day in Dortmund, Jesse and the others made their way back to their hotel to prepare themselves for dinner. Jesse's grandmother was an extraordinary woman who didn't like it when someone arrived late to a meeting, or in her case, her very own birthday dinner. She had always been an ambitious woman who had always supported the decisions her grandchildren were making, as long as they were firmly following their plans.

When their train pulled out of the station, Jesse was watching Rachel who was going through her bunch of bags filled with souvenirs, scribbling down into the notebook on her lap. They weren't even driving for ten minutes when Jesse recognized the landscape around them and smiled.

His eyes were searching Rachel's and when they finally met, Jesse opened his mouth. Rachel's view drifted to the window and she grimaced, remembering her disappointment from only a few hours ago. With a broad smile, Rachel turned back to Jesse again, spontaneously deciding to interrupt every attempt Jesse would make to talk about _Starlight Express_.

"Did you know," he started like Sebastian before, but Rachel cut him off quickly.

"Do you know how it comes that Luke knows Bev? Katie called this morning and told me they went out for a date and he never mentioned it..."

Jesse furrowed his brows. "I don't know," he stammered.

Rachel nodded. "Ok," she replied before starting a conversation with Sebastian about _joint-friendly_ gym-equipment and how she could expect the dinner to be.

* * *

_To be continued..._  
_Next: **Feuds**_

* * *

_Songs:_  
_**Lena **_**"Satellite"**

* * *

**A/N: **I'm going to change a few little details in the last few chapters (~24+) when I have time, so that Rachel never _really_ admitted for having fallen for Jesse.

**August 30, 2015. ****R&amp;R :)**


End file.
